<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
<meta charset="UTF-8">
<title>Firecracker by Levaaah</title>
<style type="text/css">

body { background-color: #ffffff; }
.CI {
text-align:center;
margin-top:0px;
margin-bottom:0px;
padding:0px;
}
.center   {text-align: center;}
.cover    {text-align: center;}
.full     {width: 100%; }
.quarter  {width: 25%; }
.smcap    {font-variant: small-caps;}
.u        {text-decoration: underline;}
.bold     {font-weight: bold;}
</style>
</head>
<body>
<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/23157616">Firecracker</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Levaaah/pseuds/Levaaah'>Levaaah</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Freefalling [5]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Batman - All Media Types</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Consensual Underage Sex, Consent is Sexy, Dancing, Dick Grayson is Robin, Dubious Policework, F/M, First Time, Fluff, Haly's Circus, Jealousy, Kidnapping, Magic, Romani Dick Grayson, Smut, Vigilantism, no beta we die like jason</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-03-15</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-03-18</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-01 11:48:23</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Mature</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Underage</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>4</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>30,865</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/23157616</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Levaaah/pseuds/Levaaah</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>'Dick makes a startled noise that draws her attention.</p><p>"What is it?"</p><p>"Haly's Circus is going international." He frowns, "how did I not know about this?"</p><p>Eleanor peers at the screen, large fancy letters exclaiming that yes, the circus was indeed coming to France, and you should definitely buy your tickets now for a once in a lifetime experience.</p><p>“We should go.” </p><p> </p><p>  <i>Or</i></p><p> </p><p>Dick takes Eleanor to see his family and friends back at Haly's.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Dick Grayson/Original Female Character</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Freefalling [5]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1631698</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>3</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>51</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. All Eyes On Me</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <em>--- 2013 – July – Gotham ---</em>
</p><p> </p><p>She stretches as she sits up on the bed, dressed only in a tank top and her sleeping shorts Eleanor rubs her eyes and glances at the clock. Almost a full four hours of consecutive sleep after last night’s patrol, that’s got to be a new record, right?</p><p>Eleanor stands up yawning, she grabs her hoodie – the Superman themed one that Dick gifted her a while back and starts heading down towards the kitchen. No doubt her dad and Jason would be in the cave training already, he’d improved so much over such a short time, Eleanor was certain that he’d be suiting up and joining them on patrol sooner rather than later. Especially with Dick being more and more focused on the Titans, spending weeks at a time away from the manor and Gotham. It saddens her that the relationship between Bruce and Dick had deteriorated so quickly, Bruce's answer to Dick spending time with the Titans was to cut him off from patrolling Gotham, which in turn meant Dick spent more time in New York. It was a vicious circle, especially since the two refused to have any semblance of a calm conversation or stay in the same room for more than five minutes.</p><p>Eleanor finds him in the kitchen, sat at the dining table with a cup of what she would only assume is coffee in front of him and an empty bowl pushed further away. She absentmindedly wonders how Dick had managed to sneak cereal into the manor with Alfred constantly watching. Brow furrowed as he stares intently at his phone, though he glances up as she approaches and smiles when she leans in and kisses the side of his head. She can’t help but run her fingers through his tangled black hair.</p><p>“Good morning,” she says, wiggling herself into his lap, he readjusts his arms to cage her once she’s settled.</p><p>“Morning,” he replies easily, dropping his phone to place a warm hand on her thigh, “sleep well?” She hums softly in reply, leaning down to nuzzle her nose against his neck and breaths him in, he smells like that citrusy shampoo he likes so much and sunlight.</p><p><em>This</em>, she thinks, curled against his chest as sunlight finds its way through the large kitchen windows, <em>if the rest of her life looked like this, she’d die a happy woman.</em></p><p>She continues to gently play with the lose curls at the nape of his neck when he moves to pick up his phone again. She finds herself glancing out the window to the garden outside, and despite not being a big fan of silence, it feels peaceful. Dick will occasionally move, taking a sip of that disgusting liquid he calls coffee and chuckle at something on his phone. A text from Wally or Barbara she notices when she glances over.</p><p>Once in a while as Eleanor’s combing her fingers through his hair, she’ll snag a tangle and he’ll give her a low grunt as she untangles it, pressing an apologetic kiss against his temple when she does. Then he makes a startled noise mid sip of his coffee that kind of makes her jump. A soft ‘oh’ noise leaves his lips; she glances towards his phone questioningly.</p><p>“What is it?” she asks trying to nudge the arm and hand that’s holding his coffee out of the way, he places the mug on the table and taps something on his phone.</p><p>“Haly’s Circus,” he replies, “it’s going international, starting in France this weekend.” He looks at her with a frown, “how did I not know about this?”</p><p>She peers at the screen, large fancy letters exclaiming that yes, the circus was indeed coming to France, and you should definitely buy your tickets now for a once in a lifetime experience.</p><p>“We should go,” she says leaning forward to run her finger across the screen, looking for the location of the circus, <em>Paris</em>. Shouldn’t be hard enough to convince her dad to borrow the jet. Probably. Dick shifts his unoccupied hand from the table to the small of her back, leaning away enough to meet her eyes. He doesn’t say anything for a moment, just looks at her.</p><p>“Unless you don’t want to?” She asks, biting the inside of her cheek in worry.</p><p>“No that’s-,” he pauses, chuckling slightly as he closes his eyes. Eleanor tilts her head in confusion, dropping her hand from the back of his neck to his shoulder.</p><p>“You okay, Dick?”</p><p>Dick blinks his eyes open and looks at her, he’s smiling, and his eyes are a tad bit watery.</p><p>“Just thinking about how amazing you are,” he praises, she feels her face heat up at the compliment, though it’s definitely the other way around. Eleanor shifts in his lap just enough so she can hug him properly. Dick’s arms tug her almost painfully close as he buries his nose against her neck.</p><p>When they pull apart, she gently runs her knuckles across his cheek, “let’s go see your family, yeah?”</p><p>He smiles <em>her</em> smile as he nods, the one that made her weak in the knees and butterflies flutter in her stomach. Then he leans in and gives her the softest of kisses, that says more than a thousand words could.<br/><br/></p><p>Later that day Eleanor finds herself down in the cave, watching Jason and her dad practise. It’s kickboxing this time, she’s actually kind of impressed how quickly the kid had learned. But again, that’s something all three of them had in common. Ridiculously quick learners.</p><p>Eleanor ends up double checking her patrol for tonight, making sure that any of the open cases she’s working intertwined with it. When Bruce calls for a break, she spins around in the chair in front of the Batcomputer, she smiles when Jason comes walking over, sweaty and a half-empty water bottle in one hand.</p><p>“How’s training?” she prods.</p><p>“Tough,” he replies grinning widely, “It’s awesome.”</p><p>There’s a difference in is posture, Eleanor thinks, as she watches him wipe his neck with his towel. Jason’s taller than when they first met standing almost at five foot four inches, part of her wonders if he’s going to get taller than Bruce once he’s finished growing. Jason’s also built up a lot of muscle, though with the amount of food he’d been shovelling down his mouth that shouldn’t be a surprise. Lastly, and most importantly, Jason’s happier, there’s a light in his eyes especially when it clicks whatever it is her father is teaching him, or when Bruce tells him <em>‘good job, Jaylad’</em>.</p><p>“Though,” Jason adds taking another sip of the water. “I kind of wanna get out there too, you know, on patrol.”</p><p>“Yeah, but you shouldn’t rush it Jay, I trained for almost five years before I was even allowed to try on my suit.”</p><p>Jason gives her a look of absolute horror, “I really hope it won’t take five years.”</p><p>“It won’t, you’re a natural,” Eleanor can’t help but to chuckle. Jason smiles, his back straightening slightly at the praise.</p><p>“Hey, do you think maybe Dick would give me some pointers if I asked him?” Jason asks then, rubbing the back of his neck hesitantly. The relationship between the two of them were a bit one sided, Jason looked up to Dick like Dick was his personal hero, and the first Robin, with the arguments turned fights Dick had had with Bruce lately. Lets just say it was rare for Dick to even stay at the manor for longer than twelve hours.</p><p>“Sure,” she replies easily, Dick wasn’t rude enough to deny him that, “he said he’ll be heading out to New York in a couple of hours though,” Eleanor adds. Dick needed to make sure that<em> the Titans</em> didn’t end up killing each other in their planned absence.</p><p>Jason’s face falls slightly.</p><p>“Run ask him now,” she suggests, “he hasn’t left yet.”</p><p>The kid nods eagerly, “thanks Ella.”</p><p>“He is improving quickly,” Bruce’s voice calls from behind her once Jason’s up the stairs and out of earshot. “But he’s also rash and can let his anger get the better of him.”</p><p>“Sounds like someone I know,” Eleanor says, spinning around to face him. Her father arches a thick eyebrow, a low ‘hm’ escaping his throat.</p><p>“Jason’s a good kid,” Eleanor continues, “I’m glad you took him in.”</p><p>“Dick doesn’t seem to share your opinion.”</p><p>“He’s just worried,” she averts her eyes, instead choosing to look at the screens of the computer in front of her. “He thinks you’re pushing him out.”</p><p>Bruce ‘hm’s again.</p><p>“Dick’s outgrown Robin,” he says then after a moments pause, “he needs something new.”</p><p><em>‘Maybe try telling him that instead of picking faults at him’</em>. Is what she wants to say.</p><p>“Maybe,” is what she says before changing the subject, “are you using the private jet this weekend?”</p><p>“No,” Bruce raises a questioning eyebrow towards her – like he would leave Gotham unprotected, Eleanor kind of already knew the answer before she asked. “Why do you ask?”</p><p>“I was going to ask if I could borrow it, well, Dick and I.”</p><p>“Going where, exactly?”</p><p>“Paris.”</p><p>“You want to go to Paris. For a weekend. <em>Alone</em>.”</p><p>Eleanor keeps a blank look on face, “Haly’s Circus is performing there, the first stop in their European tour, Dick hasn’t seen them in a while. I thought it would be nice for him to go catch up with his old friends and family.”</p><p>Bruce had a very soft spot for anything involving Dick’s past, especially Haly’s Circus. She was fairly certain that just by mentioning it he would approve. Seventy percent sure… ah, maybe sixty-five percent.</p><p>“I see,” he says, Eleanor can’t gleam any information out of his tone. “But you still want to go to Paris for an entire weekend. Just the two of you.”</p><p>Eleanor squirms a bit in her seat, despite her best efforts trying to stop herself from doing it. Her thoughts immediately returning to <em>the talk</em> they’d had just two days ago. Yeah, she really don’t want a repeat of that.</p><p>“You said you trusted my judgement.”</p><p>Bruce looks at her for a long time, long enough that Eleanor thinks that maybe he’ll actually say no. But after an awkward amount of time he just simply nods.</p><p>“Alright.”</p><p>She smiles her thanks and is out of the cave before Bruce can change his mind.</p><p>Eleanor hears the heavy beat of the music as soon as she starts ascending the stairs up to the second floor. It’s a pop song, not particularly her style but it’s got a nice beat to it, she doesn’t quite catch the lyrics until she’s at the top of the stairs.</p><p> </p><p><em>‘</em> <em>I feel the adrenaline moving through my veins</em> <em><br/>Spotlight on me and I'm ready to break’</em></p><p> </p><p>Eleanor feels a smile slowly crawl up her face, instead of walking towards her own room she turns to walk down the hall to Dick’s room. The door is cracked open slightly which is why she could hear the music from so far away, the manor might be old, but the walls are pretty thick. That and Dick’s playing it loudly enough that she wasn’t surprised if people could hear it from the cave. Okay, maybe not that loud but it’s loud enough that she can definitely feel the bass when she gets closer. Eleanor carefully nudges the door open a bit more, just enough so that she can peek inside.</p><p>Eleanor feels her ears heat up first when she sees him, then her cheeks. She grabs the door frame to steady herself because stars above that is <em>hot.</em></p><p>Dick Grayson is <em>dancing,</em> and <em>oh does that boy know how to move</em>. Swaying his hips to the beat and she knows that he knows that his backside is one of his best assets. He’s always had an excellent control over every little muscle in his body, always been as graceful as a cat, in fact, Eleanor’s never seen Dick do something as small as stumble. Unless he didn’t want to, he always landed on his feet.</p><p> </p><p><em>‘I'm like a performer, the dance floor is my stage</em> <em><br/>Better be ready, hope ya feel the same’</em></p><p> </p><p>Eleanor’s still of a mind not to be gaping at him, but the hot flush under her shirt isn’t going away anytime soon and Eleanor knows that if she looked in a mirror, she would definitely see a blush across her cheeks. Dick has clearly just gotten out of the shower; his black hair is still damp; he’s only dressed in a tight white t-shirt – that doesn’t leave much to the imagination and a pair of dark grey jeans with no socks or shoes. There’s an open bag on his bed that looks half filled with clothes and when to the beat of the music Dick is dancing across his room, from the walk-in-closet to the bag.</p><p>Eleanor’s definitely going to need a shower after watching him, <em>a cold one. </em>Part of her brain thinks that maybe it’s a bit creepy of her to just essentially spy on him, but Dick had left his door open, it’s <em>his </em>fault. Of course, when he tilts his head to peek over his shoulder and meets her eyes with a sly grin on his face, Eleanor feels like she’s been caught with her hand down the proverbial cookie jar.</p><p> </p><p><em>‘Don't stand there watching me, follow me</em> <em><br/>Show me what you can do’</em></p><p> </p><p>It shouldn’t surprise Eleanor anymore how quick he is, but Dick flips over the bed <em>– show off,</em> and then pulls her into the room, reaching up to place her arms around his neck and grips her hips to move them with the beat. She can’t help laughing as he does, it’s ridiculous but it feels good, it feels normal. Like maybe silly things like this is what your average teenage couple would do. Even though Dick Grayson is literally anything but average.</p><p><em>“I'm like a firecracker</em><em>, I make it hot,”</em> Dick sings in her ear, his hot breath washing over her neck and Eleanor feels a shiver run up her back. He grips her hand and spins her before pulling her back in with her back to his chest this time and she closes her eyes with Dick’s fingers just barley grazing her feverish skin just under the hem of her tank top. Their hips slowly rolling together to the beat of the music Eleanor can’t help but raise her hand up to the back of his head, curling her fingers into the damp strands of his hair. She feels warm all over, especially since with every sway of their bodies her tank top keeps riding up her waist. Eleanor opens her eyes to see herself and Dick reflecting back into the floor to ceiling mirror.</p><p> </p><p><em>‘So baby I hope that you came prepared</em> <em><br/>I run a tight ship so, beware’</em></p><p> </p><p>Her breath catches in her throat as she watches and feels Dick’s lips mouth the song’s lyrics against her neck, so Eleanor tilts her head to the side, allowing him more access. Dick chuckles, she can feel it against her as well as hear it in her ear and it sends another shiver up her spine making a muffled mewling sound escape her lips, Dick’s breath catches. Through the mirror he meets her eyes and ever so slowly runs his tongue along the shell of her ear. Eleanor’s fingers tightens in his hair then the song ends, and she leans back against his chest. Both of their breathing is a bit uneven and her heart rate is raised, she feels good, really good.</p><p>“Hi,” Dick says happily pressing a quick kiss to the side of her face. Eleanor snorts, feeling a giggle try to break its way out of her chest. She turns around to poke him in the ribs before reaching up to place her arms around his neck again.</p><p>“Hi yourself, you tease,” Eleanor breathes out.</p><p>“Did you like the show?” There’s a tantalizing glint in his eyes, he’s enjoying this far too much. But then again, it’s not like Eleanor wasn’t enjoying it either, watching him have fun makes her feel all kinds of giddy.</p><p>“Maybe,” she bites her lip, <em>yes, she definitely did</em>. He makes a ‘Mhmm’ sound deep in his throat, kissing her nose.</p><p>“We’ve got the jet for the weekend,” she says, toying with the hair at the nape of his neck, redirecting her wandering mind. “Figured I’d pick you up in New York after Thursday patrols.”</p><p>“So Bruce was okay with us going to Paris?”</p><p>“After a bit of convincing,” Eleanor shrugs.</p><p>“So he’s not scared I’ll end up <em>tarnishing</em> his innocent daughter in the city of <em>love</em>?”</p><p>She bites back a smile, “<em>please</em>, pretty boy, he’s terrified what I’ll do to you.”</p><p>Dick throws his head back and laughs.</p><p>She realises they’re both slowly turning on the spot, even though the next song in Dick’s playlist is far from a slow song. Eleanor can feel the warmth of his hands as they rest over the small of her back, his thumbs slowly drawing random patterns over her skin.</p><p>“Hey,” Eleanor tilts her head to the side fixing him with a questioning gaze. “Did Jay come talk to you?”</p><p>“He cracked the door open,” Dick replies, his lips twitch in amusement, “I think I might have scarred him for life. Why? Did you send him?”</p><p>She scoffs a chuckle, shaking her head in disbelief. “He wanted some pointers from you, you’re his hero you know.”</p><p>The smile that appears on Dick’s face is taut and doesn’t quite reach his eyes. Their relationship wasn’t hostile by any means, but Eleanor was aware that there was trepidation from Dick’s side. No one liked being replaced.</p><p>“I’m not really sure-…” He cuts himself off, clicking his tongue in annoyance and pursing his lips. She curses herself silently in her head, he’d been in such a good mood not a minute ago and now Eleanor had ruined it.</p><p>“Sorry-“</p><p>“Don’t be,” he quickly interrupts her. “I’m just being a moody bitch about the whole Robin thing.” Dick flashes her another one of his trademark smiles, the one he does when he’s trying to move past a difficult conversation. She wants to point out that he doesn’t need to do that with her but decides to drop it. For now at least.</p><p>“Drama queen,” Eleanor murmurs instead with a fond smile on her lips, and he chuckles and then sighs.</p><p>“I’ll talk to him, but…”</p><p>“France,” she hums, “Paris and Haly’s.”</p><p>“I can’t wait for you to meet them all,” he coo’s softly, leaning his head forward to rest against hers. “They’ll love you.”</p><p>“I hope so,” she murmurs, Eleanor’s nervous as hell about meeting Dick’s circus family. She knows how much all of them mean to him, so she really wants to make a good first impression. But she was also an outsider, a rich outsider at that. It came with certain prejudice. Most of them would probably be spot on, she did have a public persona, a lofty air-headed persona. Eleanor kisses him quickly after that, turning whatever it was he was going to say into a muffled sigh against her lips.</p><p>The next song starts playing and she laughs.</p><p>“You’re playlist is a monstrosity, Dick.”</p><p>“What?” he says, taking mock offence by Eleanor’s words “ABBA is part of the classics!”</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Covered in all the Colored Lights</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <em>--- 2013 – July – Gotham/Paris ---</em>
</p><p> </p><p>Alfred drops her off at the private airstrip owned by the family company early in the morning after her patrols, Eleanor had literally only changed out of her suit, not even taken a shower, too eager to get going. The pilot, a middle aged gentleman named Scott McKay, that usually flew for Lucius Fox whenever he was needed out of Gotham – so generally not that often, is waiting for her by the stairs to the jet.</p><p>“Good morning Miss Wayne,” he greets her pleasantly, as Alfred gets her bag out of the trunk of the car.</p><p>“Good morning Captain,” Eleanor replies allowing a small smile on to her face, she hopes she doesn’t look as tired as she feels.</p><p>“We’re running pre-flight checks as we speak, we should be ready to leave for New York within ten minutes. Assuming you’re ready to go.” The Captain says and Eleanor nods in confirmation as Alfred walks over with her bag.</p><p>“Thanks Alfred.”</p><p>“Of course Miss, do give my regards to Master Dick and have a safe flight to Paris.”</p><p>“I will,” she hums, grabbing the bag before anyone else can attempt to carry it for her. She waves goodbye to Alfred and enters the plane with Captain McKay following behind her.</p><p>The Wayne private jet is the definition of luxury.</p><p>The entire floor of the passenger cabin is an expensive soft grey carpet, bar the bathroom. Furthest back there’s a sectioned off room, with a king sized bed taking up most of the it’s space. The room also has a forty inch flatscreen TV mounted opposite the bed. The bathroom, which is attached to the bedroom has a big enough shower to comfortably fit two people at least. The lounge has a large couch opposite another TV, similar to the one in the bedroom. With several high end reclining armchairs and tables.</p><p>But the absolute best part of the jet, is the hidden cabin at the back, requiring a biometric eye scan to open. It stores back-up suits for all of the family, as well as computer with a direct link to the Batcomputer in the cave and all the gadgets and toys a vigilante could need.</p><p>It’s ridiculously expensive, absolutely unnecessary and not to mention terrible for the environment, if Eleanor was completely honest with herself, but she loved it. Just the thought of sitting six to seven hours in a cramped commercial jet with screaming children and people with no notion of personal space made Eleanor’s skin itch.</p><p>She drops her bag off in the bedroom and takes a seat in the lounge. Once the plane is in the air she stand and stretches. Captain McKay comes out of the cockpit a moment later and informs her that it’ll take about forty minutes to New York and after Dick boards, another six to seven hours to Paris.</p><p>Eleanor’s really tempted to just crash face first into the soft looking king-sized bed at the back cabin, but she’d only have time to get cosy before landing in New York. She opts for a warm shower instead to sooth her aching muscles and once she’s clean she dresses in black sweatpants and a bright green t-shirt with the Green Lantern symbol on it before making herself comfortable in the lounge, lazily scrolling through news feeds through-out the world.</p><p>She doesn’t realise she’s dozed off until the first small jolt of the plane touching down, grumpily Eleanor burrows back into the soft armchair refusing to acknowledge the bumps of the asphalt. A moment later she feels the soft press of lips against her temple.</p><p>“Hello, sleeping beauty,” Dick whispers pulling back slightly from her, Eleanor makes a protesting noise and blindly reaches out for him. He complies easily pulling her into a warm hug that she has no intention of letting go of.</p><p>“Dickie,” she murmurs, happily nuzzling her face into the crock of his neck. Dick is warm and familiar and smells like citrusy shampoo and home. He’s also talking, a low hum that makes Eleanor feel safe, she hears words like ‘<em>long night</em>’ and ‘<em>you’re adorable</em>’. When he attempts to pull away again, Eleanor tightens her grip around his shoulders and wiggles her legs free to wrap around his waist.</p><p>“Mine,” Eleanor mumbles, clinging to him like a koala, Dick lets out a breathless laugh as he stands, pulling her with him.</p><p>“Let’s get you some sleep huh?” Dick whispers softly into her ear. Part of her is tempted to make a sassy remark on how eager he is to take her to bed, instead Eleanor just nuzzles against his neck again breathing him in. “I’ll take that as a yes,” he chuckles.</p><p>He carries her through the plane, Eleanor opens her eyes for just long enough to see that they’re moving again, out to the runway.  She shifts in his grasp, leaning her head against his shoulder feeling very comfortable. Dick, to his credit, only chuckles and then tries to place her in the bed. Eleanor still has no intention of letting go of him, so she just holds on tighter. His laughter is warm against her neck, but he doesn’t budge, so Eleanor moves her right leg down over his ass and down his thigh to sharply press her heel into the back of his knee. Dick crumbles into the bed on top of her, he’s heavy, but she doesn’t care. Instead Eleanor just softly purrs ‘mine’ again against his throat as he laughs. It’s warm and awkward and wonderful, and she never, ever, want it to stop.</p><p>Dick pushes off of her to gain a bit of a distance to look at her and Eleanor opens her eyes when he does, she blinks up at him, both lazily and filled with mischief. Dick snorts in amusement, pressing a kiss to her forehead and rolls the two of them over, so that she’s sprawled across his chest.</p><p>Eleanor really can’t complain.</p><p>“Sleep,” Dick murmurs, long calloused fingers slowly stroking through her dark hair.</p><p>“Stay?” Eleanor begs, moving off of him enough so that she can tuck herself against his side, pressing her nose against his cloth covered shoulder as she does.</p><p>“Always, <em>ves’tacha</em>,” Dick smiles, kissing her forehead again as her eyes start to drop.</p><p> </p><p>When she wakes later, Dick’s arm is wrapped around her waist and he’s breathing softly to the back of her neck, Eleanor lifts her head slightly to peer over her shoulder and out the window, the brightness of the clouds almost blinds her. Eleanor lays back down, tapping her wrist-computer to check the time. Two in the afternoon, she’d slept for at least a solid six hours. Eleanor shouldn’t be surprised, she always slept better with Dick next to her.</p><p>She twists around so she’s facing him, it always amazed her how heavily he slept when he was safe. When they had stakeouts and he’d drift off, even the slightest of odd noise would wake him, like a stray cat meowing or if she moved a little he’d blink his eyes open to look towards whatever it was making the noise, make sure it wasn’t a threat, before dozing off again.</p><p>Now, Dick’s face is smooth, void of any worry, he breathes evenly and deeply through slightly parted lips, he’ll twitch at times, but Eleanor knows it’s just a dream. He moves a lot in his sleep, and he loves to cuddle, so it’s not a surprise when Dick’s arm around her waist tightens after she settles. She’s very tempted to reach up and stroke some of the stubborn black strands of hair that falls over his forehead. To trace her fingers across the gentle slope of his cheekbone, and across his jaw. Instead Eleanor closes her eyes and lets herself just be in the moment, listening to the dull sound of the jet engines and Dick’s slow breathing.</p><p>Eleanor’s not quite asleep when she hears the sharp rap on the door, so she doesn’t really startle, but Dick’s hand over her hip squeezes and his eyes flutter open with a bit of a confused look mixed with the newly awoken sleepiness.</p><p>She leans in and kisses his forehead before tangling herself loose of his arms, despite the low protesting groan. Eleanor brushes her fingers through her hair and opens the door. Captain McKay stands outside, slightly turned away, but looks over when it opens.</p><p>“Miss Wayne, apologies for disturbing you but we’re arriving in Paris within the hour,” Eleanor’s kind of grateful that he’s short and to the point, she doesn’t really know the man well enough to feel comfortable looking like she’s just gotten out of bed, even less so with Dick still in the bed behind her.</p><p>“Thank you, Captain,” she says with a curt nod, McKay mimics the nod and leaves without another word. She presses the button to close the door again, and turns to look towards her boyfriend, still stretched out on the bed.</p><p>Dick’s black t-shirt as ridden up over his chest, showing off the hard muscles of his abdomen and the V-shape of hip bones. Eleanor swallows, tearing her eyes away from ogling him and meets his eyes.</p><p>“Sleep well?” she asks, walking back to the bed and kneels down in it ignoring the way he gives her a knowing look. Dick smiles lazily towards her.</p><p>“Mhmm,” he reaches out and grabs Eleanor’s hand, “you?”</p><p>“Yeah,” she smiles back.</p><p>“C’mere,” he rumbles, his voice low and raspy from sleep. Eleanor leans in as Dick tugs her down to kiss her, she wrinkles her nose at the puff of morning breath that hits her but obliges anyway. It’s a short, sweet and warm press of lips against lips. When Eleanor sits up properly again Dick’s eyes are closed, his fingers running soothing circles over her arm.</p><p>Eleanor picks up the remote for the TV, turning towards the large screen in the room. Flicking to the weather channel.</p><p>“Warm weather,” Dick comments, propping himself up on his elbows, “you could wear that dress Babs got you for your birthday.”</p><p>“It <em>is</em> a very nice dress,” she hums, the only reason Eleanor had packed it because she’d seen the way Dick had looked at it when she had been running around in her room trying to figure out what to pack, he’d suggested it with a wiggle of his eyebrows and Eleanor had soon kicked him out of the room because he damn well knew how distracting he was being. She gets up and grabs her bag, opening it up as Dick gets out of bed and stretches again, yawning.</p><p>“I’m going to take a quick shower,” Dick tells her, and Eleanor hums in reply before he pads out of the room with his own bag. She pulls the dress out of the bag and strips out of her clothes and studies it for a second. It’s a sleeveless halter neck light blue dress, with a floral white pattern covering it, reaching to about mid-thigh. It’s gorgeous, she rarely get to wear anything like it in Gotham as it was too casual to be worn at a gala.</p><p>Eleanor glances back towards her bag, laying the dress down on the bed she grabs the other article of clothing she’d specifically picked for this trip. The lacy dark blue underwear, it was low cut and a bit see through and she was a bit nervous about wearing it, she usually just stuck with sports bra’s and hipsters, nothing overly fancy. Eleanor did own a couple of nice looking bra’s, but nothing like this.</p><p>She swallows, and before she can change her mind puts it on, then quickly puts the dress on over it. It feels nice against her skin. She’s brushing her hair when the door hisses open again, debating if she should pull it up like she usually does or braid it.</p><p>Dick’s dressed in a pair of white jeans shorts that reaches his knees, and a faded blue t-shirt with an open collar, his hair is still damp from the shower, but Eleanor can tell he’s combed it back, probably wouldn’t stay that way for very long, Dick’s hair seemed to have a mind of its own.</p><p>“Oh,” he says, not very subtly checking her out, she hides her smile by turning away to pull her hair up in a ponytail. “You look amazing,” Dick tells her, and she feels his hands on her hips and his breath across her left shoulder.</p><p>“Trying to put my hair up here, Dick,” she protests, dropping her hands from her head when he kisses the side of her neck.</p><p>“Keep it down,” he murmurs huskily against her, she bites her lip. “I love seeing you with your hair down, like the fundraiser on your birthday, it was driving me crazy.” Dick’s lips drags across her throat, until he’s sucking on the sensitive skin just under her jaw, over her pulse. Eleanor sighs against him, before she realises what he’s doing.</p><p>“Asshole, now I’ve got to cover that up,” she shoots him a half-hearted glare as she steps out of his reach, batting his grabby hands away. Dick just smirks back, showing no regrets as he stuffs his hands in the pockets of his shorts. She picks up the handheld mirror from her bag, tilting her head so she can see the dark purplish mark or her pale skin just under her jaw.</p><p>“Or don’t and let everyone see it,” Dick says, his voice is low almost gravelly, Eleanor bites her lip again.</p><p>“Okay,” she says, watching as his eyes snaps back up to meet hers in the mirror, and a smile curl over his lips.</p><p>“What was it you so eloquently said this morning?” Dick says, still grinning like an idiot, “Ah, ‘Mine’, was it?”</p><p>Eleanor giggles, a high fluttery sound that she’s kind of embarrassed of making but Dick’s smile widens, so maybe she’s not completely opposed to it.</p><p>“Stop distracting me, Grayson,” she chides still smiling, grabbing her make up bag, “we’re landing soon and I’m not ready yet.”</p><p>Dick holds his hands up in mock surrender, chuckling as he turns around to give her some space, Eleanor can’t help but admire the way his shorts cling to him. Shaking her head, she applies some light make up to her face, nothing too heavy to distract away from her dress light colours, she leaves the hickey on her neck alone, deciding instead to leave her hair down, it wasn’t too noticeable unless she tucked her hair behind her ear.</p><p>With the concealer still in her hand she feels a grimace worm its way onto her face, with a dress like this she would have to cover up the various scars on her body because there was no way a normal sixteen-year-old teenager should have as many as she did. Luckily the dress covers the worst ones – the ones on her back, so she only really has to do the ones on her arms.</p><p>“Hey Dick? Can you help me with this?” Eleanor holds the concealer out towards him, gesturing to the back of her legs, she can’t really do those by herself.</p><p>“Sure,” Dick hums, plucking the glass vial from her outstretched hand. He crouches down to the floor and starts applying the make up to the back of her thighs. Eleanor glances over her shoulder at him while he works.</p><p>“Did you bring yours?”</p><p>Dick nods, “you think I need it?”</p><p>She bites her lip, thinking. “Maybe only for the big ones.”</p><p>Dick pats her knee once he’s done and stands back up, giving the vial back before going over to his own bag and rummaging through it. When Dick finds it Eleanor’s by his side, and he holds it out to her without a word.</p><p>Dick’s arms aren’t as covered in scars as his back and chest, but there’s still a myriad of stabs, slashes and burns from various instruments scattered over them. Most are small enough that they don’t really need covering, but there’s a larger one that runs over his right bicep, a slashing wound from a sword – a katana to be more precise. The cut hadn’t been deep, but it had been long. Leaving behind a thin white line over his tanned golden skin. Eleanor both love and loathe his scars, the loathe for obvious reasons – she doesn’t like seeing him hurt. But she loves the map of experience they leave behind, it makes him, <em>him.</em></p><p>“All done,” Eleanor murmurs once she’s done covering up the most obvious of his scars, dropping the concealer back into his bag.</p><p>“Thanks babe.”</p><p> “Done,” Eleanor announces once she’s put on her gladiator sandals, turning to look at Dick, he’s put on shoes and hung a pair of sunglasses from his shirt, sat by the edge of the bed flipping through channels on the TV. He smiles when she comes to stand by his side.</p><p>“Hello gorgeous,” he says, bringing her hand up to press a kiss against her knuckles, she rolls her eyes at him fondly.</p><p>“You’re a terrible flirt,” Eleanor says, pretending to complain, she loves Dick’s affection, loves how open he is with his emotions. It makes her own supressed ones easier to act on.</p><p>“Made you smile though,” Dick replies cheekily, Eleanor stops fighting the smile on her lips and leans up to kiss the corner of his mouth.</p><p>“C’mon, Casanova,” she says dryly, grabbing Dick’s hand as he laughs.</p><p>The air outside is almost overwhelmingly hot once the doors open when the plane has landed, and Eleanor has to almost immediately reach into her bag for her sunglasses, to shield her eyes from the bright afternoon sunlight that bears down on them.</p><p>Eleanor loves Gotham City with her moody weathers, tough streets and tougher people, but sunlight like this is a rarity. Occasionally they’ll have really sunny days, sure, but Eleanor’s not sure it’s the same. Besides, most of Eleanor’s days are spent asleep or inside the cave working on various upgrades for gadgets and toys, she doesn’t really see much of the city in daylight. At least not in the same capacity she would in the darkness of the night.</p><p>They take a cab into the city proper and end up going for a late lunch at a cute little café closer to the outskirts of the city, within walking distance of the circus. The waitress serving them keeps sneaking glances at Dick, Eleanor honestly can’t blame the woman, besides Eleanor’s confident enough in herself not to take it personally. Looking never hurt anyone after all.</p><p>That is, until the waitress comes back with their order <em>(iced raspberry tea for the two of them, served with a cheesy quiche for Eleanor and a bacon tartiflette for Dick),</em> there’s a number written on a napkin. Dick notices it, they’re both trained detectives, it’s second nature to take in even the smallest of details, it’s not like they can just turn that instinct off at will.</p><p>So Eleanor does what any other woman would to protect what’s hers and tugs on Dick’s hand until he’s leant close enough for her to kiss him. Licking into his mouth and running her tongue across his, whilst tangling her fingers through his hair and tugging in a way she knows he likes, startling a surprised and low moan from his mouth, muffled by her lips. When Eleanor pulls back and smooths his hair down slightly, Dick’s eyes are unfocused, and his lips shine with spit. She tilts her head as she sits down again, crossing her legs with no shame as she feels the eyes of the other patrons in the café on her, Eleanor’s not a jealous woman by nature. But no one messes with what was hers.</p><p>“I think they got the point,” Dick says then, winking at her.</p><p>“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” she hums, taking a bite of her food. Dick laughs, it’s bright and carefree and Eleanor finds herself gawking at his beauty, a fond sigh leaves her lips.</p><p>“I love you,” the words slip out without her permission, but Dick’s eyes softens, and his laughter dies down to a quiet chuckle.</p><p>“Love you too, babe.”</p><p> </p><p>Eleanor would like to say she doesn’t do it on purpose, but she does. She’s being deliberately slow with everything, eating, drinking, walking. Dick doesn’t seem to mind much as they walk down the road in the sun, hands clasped as he chats away. Excitement is rolling off of him in waves and even though it is contagious, there’s still the underlying feeling of nervousness that she can’t quite shake.</p><p>She’s meeting Haly and all the people from his youth, his family, the one that Dick, and his parents loved and had loved with all of their hearts. So… what if they didn’t approve? Dick’s arm wrap around her shoulder as they’re walking, like he can read Eleanor’s worries like an open book. She feels immensely grateful for it as they walk. Just his casual touch was enough to calm her racing thoughts.</p><p>They round the corner of the street and can immediately see the circus tents, the bright red’s and yellow’s stand out against the summer’s greens. There’s music, even from a distance, people talking excitedly, Eleanor catches not only French, but languages of all kinds, many must have travelled far to see the circus.</p><p>They buy tickets at the entrance, the man selling them wishes them a great day in practised French, though the underlaying American accent is pretty heavy.</p><p>“Where do we go first?” Eleanor asks as they come to stand still in the middle of the organized chaos inside the fence. Dick hums thoughtfully, Eleanor finds herself distracted by the colourful woman and man on tall stilts, bending down to draw a couple of laughs from the surrounding crowds, it looks like they’re almost going to fall before they right themselves. There’s a crowd of children gathered at the feet of a clown with fluffy red and blue hair juggling six different green, yellow, red and orange balls. She can smell the sweetness of cotton candy in the air, mixing with roasted nuts and popcorn. Over the sound of the crowd she can hear music playing, and someone calling out for <em>‘the beginning of the show’</em> and to <em>‘come this way, ladies and gentlemen’</em>. It’s exactly like Eleanor remembers it being when Bruce had taken her when the circus was in Gotham all those years ago.</p><p>“Ellie?” Dick’s voice snaps her back into the moment, and she blinks owlishly at him.</p><p>“Sorry?”</p><p>“I asked if you wanted to wander around for now,” he laughs.</p><p>“Oh,” she feels herself blush, “yeah okay, let’s do that. You’re the expert after all.”</p><p>He sets off dragging her with him, a smile never leaves his face and Eleanor’s unsure what’s more distracting, whatever it is he’s showing her or the bright and giddy – almost child-like grin that never leaves his face. If it were possible, Eleanor thinks she might just have fallen more in love with him. The hours seems to go by impossibly fast as they try out the food and games – Dick wins a giant pink and fluffy elephant that he ends up giving away to a little girl who goes squealing to her parents to show it off.</p><p>Later in the evening they find themselves in the largest tent, Dick’s hand squeezes around hers when they enter and he looks up, she follows his gaze to the trapeze lines high above the ground. Eleanor squeezes back as they take a seat on the benches in the tent, there’s a murmur of voices as the spotlights swirls around them, she can almost taste the anticipation in the air.</p><p>“There,” Dick murmurs in her ear, pointing towards the other end of the ring. She sees the outline of a man just moments before smoke starts filling out of the entrance then he appears, a middle aged guy in a red tailcoat and black top hat, there’s a thunder of applauses as he calls out in perfect French.</p><p>
  <em>“Welcome, ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls of all ages, to Haly’s Circus!”</em>
</p><p>Out of the corner of her eyes, she sees Dick mouth the words as they’re spoken.</p><p>“That’s James,” Dick murmurs in her ear as the man – James, continues to speak excitedly. “Mr Haly’s nephew, he dated Amélie, my mom’s best friend.”</p><p>“Wasn’t Mr Haly the ringleader?” She asks, watching as people spill out of a curtain, the spotlights shining over them and the crow and the music picks up, some of them balancing on different objects, one tall and muscular man carrying two young people in purple leotards on his shoulders while two other similarly coloured leotard wearing people dance around them, two other people spitting fire and a couple of clowns in varying sizes.</p><p>“I’m pretty sure he would be too old for this sort of thing now, he’d be… in his eighties by now?” Dick replies with an easy shrug.</p><p>Eleanor hums again, and watches as flame licks over them and the crowd cowers, it’s close enough that she can feel the heat of it.</p><p>As the show goes on with impressive displays of daring and skill, everything from tightrope walking to knife throwing, Eleanor can feel the atmosphere in the tent build. Each clown playing tricks, breath of fire, impressive display of strength from the strong-man and thrown knife raising the excitement and tension, until James appears in another puff of smoke.</p><p><em>“And now!”</em> He shouts, <em>“to see something most spectacular fly through the skies! Please give a warm applause for the Soaring Spirits! Raya! Roman! Raymond! And Zane!”</em></p><p>The spotlight shifts upwards, to the four people she’d seen earlier in the purple leotards, both waving as they hold onto the trapeze sticks. Eleanor doesn’t even realize how tense she’d been until; out of the corner of her eyes she watches half a dozen other people prop up a net over the ring. As the lights flash and flair over the audience she spots a woman and two men on the trapeze platform, Raya, Roman and Raymond, on a swing on the other side sits the more muscular of the four, Zane, they all look about hers and Dick’s age. Eleanor glances over towards him, about to ask if he knows them but falls silent.</p><p>The look in Dick’s eyes is one of longing, joy, and pride.</p><p>“I’m glad they’re using a net,” he murmurs softly. Eleanor smiles, leaning her head against his shoulder and placing her hand over his knee, squeezing it, his arm tightens around her waist in response.</p><p>The acrobats fling themselves over the expanse with similar grace Eleanor’s only seen in three other people before. It’s clear that Raya is the more skilled out of the four, as she flips and turns as Zane catches and lets her go making the crowd gasp and cheer. But Raymond and Roman aren’t without skill, far from it in fact. Raymond even does a triple somersault that almost has him falling down into the net, before Zane manages to catch him. Eleanor misses most of their act – not from lack of interest or failure to perform on their part, but she can’t tear her eyes away from the glittering of delight in Dick’s eyes, every swing, twist and flip brings more and more wonder to his face.</p><p>All too soon it comes to an end, with James bidding everyone a good night and good fortune. The crowd disperses slowly. Dick grabs Eleanor’s hand again, tugging her along with him as he leads her towards the other side of the ring. They slip through the back while no one’s watching.</p><p>“It’s pretty much the same everywhere,” he whispers as they dart between shadows, watching the people who’d just moments ago put on one of the best shows Eleanor’s ever seen. “The city changes but the layout of the tents stays the same,” he clarifies before his head snaps to the side and she curiously follows his eyes. The acrobat woman in the purple leotard stands not far from them.</p><p>“Raya,” Dick says, his grin widening.</p><p>“Let’s go say hi,” Eleanor urges, but Dick hesitates.</p><p>“What if she doesn’t remember me?” Eleanor touches her fingers to his chin at his words, tilting his head so that she can look him straight in the eyes.</p><p>“Trust me Dick, no one could forget you.”</p><p>He blushes, even in the shadows they’re standing in she can see the dark flush to his cheeks. Smiling, Dick leans in and kisses her quickly before he looks back towards Raya.</p><p>“Vestri!” He calls out, stepping out of the shadows, Eleanor follow slowly behind him. “You’ve gotten a lot better over the years, but your backflips could still use some work.” Dick says it like it’s an old joke. The woman whips her head towards Dick, her eyes narrows into a scowl in the matter of seconds, then confusion sets in as she stares.</p><p>“My backflips…? What? Is that, wait… Dick?!”</p><p>“Hi Raya,” he says, almost sheepishly, raising a hand to wave. The woman smiles brightly, taking a couple of steps and throws herself against Dick, her feet lifting off the ground with the hug. When she steps back, her hands resting on Dick’s biceps they both start talking in rapid-fire Romani. Eleanor would like to think she’s good with languages, and Dick <em>has</em> been trying to teach her, she knew a couple of words, but there’s no way she can keep up with this conversation. Not even close.</p><p>After a moments pause between the two, Raya shoots her a questioning glance over Dick’s shoulder and Eleanor’s boyfriend spins grinning widely, holding his hand out for her to take.</p><p>“This is Eleanor,” Dick says, deliberately not using her last name, she’s grateful. “Ellie, this is Raya Vestri, mom and dad practically raised her and her brother, Roman, alongside me.”</p><p>Eleanor doesn’t miss the way Raya’s face twists in… displeasure? Or perhaps dislike? But it’s gone as soon as Eleanor reaches a hand out for her to shake, and Raya does shake her hand, but withdraws quickly. Eleanor wonders if Dick even sees it, or if she’d just imagined it because of her own trepidations.</p><p>“Nice to meet you.” Raya says a pleasant smile on her lips. <em>Fake,</em> Eleanor’s mind screams.</p><p>“Nice to meet you too,” she replies, automatically.</p><p>Raya clears her throat, “we should go let the others know you’re here, especially Mr Haly, he’ll be ecstatic.” Raya says it while looking pointedly at Dick, the invitation hadn’t even been remotely towards Eleanor. She tries to keep her expression as neutral as she can, it’s only natural that Raya would be protective. They hadn’t seen each other in over ten years, and now Dick shows up with a girl Raya has never seen before. <em>It’s a tight-knit community Ellie, they’re going to be suspicious.</em></p><p>“Lead the way,” Dick says happily.</p><p> </p><p>Raya leads the two of them further backstage, to a group of people and what looks like a dressing room. Eleanor immediately recognizes James the ringleader, even without his top hat on. As well as the strongman she thinks was introduced as Samson or ‘Mister Muscle’. Before she can put more names to the faces in the room Raya claps her hands together and grabs everyone’s attention.</p><p>“Everyone! Look who I found!” She grabs Dick’s hand and holds it up like she’s proclaiming a winner.</p><p>There’s a murmur of voices before someone gasps.</p><p>“Dickie?!”</p><p>“Wait, <em>Richard Grayson?”</em></p><p>“Oh! It’s really him!”</p><p>“Look at you!”</p><p>“He looks just like John!”</p><p>People surge forward to hug and grab at him and Dick laughs, trying to keep up with the attention by hugging back where he can before he’s tugged away and into another embrace or someone’s hand ruffling his hair.</p><p>“You look so much like your father, <em>ma chérie</em>,” a blonde woman with a heavy French accent titters.</p><p>“Little Dick Grayson all grown up!” another cheery voice calls.</p><p>It’s a wonderful, heart-warming reunion that even though she’s standing away from the clump of people each vying for Dick’s attention makes her feel all warm and fuzzy inside.</p><p>“He’s always been like this,” someone murmurs to her side, she glances towards him, the male trapeze artist she’d seen earlier – Roman, stands not too far away, his athletic build is shorter than Eleanor by a couple of inches and he shares Raya’s red hair and green eyes. Roman got a small grin on his face as he watches the mess of people around Dick. “The centre of attention, a shining spotlight on him.” Roman says it all without any malice, there’s just a familial fondness to his tone.</p><p>“I know,” Eleanor chuckles, turning to watch an older woman pinch Dick’s cheek as he pulls away from hugging her.</p><p>“I’m Roman by the way, you’re a friend of Dick’s?”</p><p>“Yeah, I’m Eleanor,” she replies, extending a hand for Roman to shake.</p><p>“Nice to meet you Eleanor,” he says, shaking her hand.</p><p>“Likewise.”</p><p>The room quiets down when the flaps to the back of the tent opens and a white haired older gentleman with a cane and dressed in a colourful coat steps through. He’s hunched over slightly, but Eleanor would guess that if he straightened out, he’d be around six feet tall.</p><p>“Ah, Dickie, my boy,” he says warmly, in a voice that makes him sound frail. “Welcome home.”</p><p>“Mr Haly,” Dick says, the crowd parts to allow him to walk forward and embrace the older man.</p><p>“It’s good to see you again after all this time kiddo.”</p><p>“It’s good to be back.”</p><p>Haly pulls back, holding Dick at an arm’s length, “let me look at you, hmm,” he grins widely, “turned into quite a handsome young man, haven’t you?” he laughs then, “just like your dad.”</p><p>Dick hugs him again and Eleanor doesn’t try to listen in as they start talking in a hushed tone, before Haly’s eyes meets hers across the room. He nudges Dick then before he starts walking over towards her, “and who’s this lovely young lady?”</p><p>Eleanor feels a smile curl up on her lips at the sight of the persistent crow’s feet at the corner of Haly’s eyes, the signs of a man who’s spent much of his life laughing and smiling. Dick follows closely behind and once they’re close enough; Dick holds his hand out for her. She takes it immediately, feeling his warmth strengthen her.</p><p>“I’m Eleanor,” she says, her almost-black eyes moving back to meet Haly’s brown ones, offering the older man a genuine smile. “Dick’s told me a lot about you, Mr Haly, it’s an honour to finally meet you.”</p><p>A tad bit too formal, maybe she blames her nerves. Haly raises an eyebrow, glancing at their intertwined fingers.</p><p>“Ah,” he says, as if everything’s crystal clear, he jabs his elbow into Dick’s ribs, wiggling his eyebrows with a knowing smirk. “Caught yourself a well-mannered one, hmm.”</p><p>“When she wants to be,” Dick replies, giving Eleanor a teasing look, she’s tempted to poke her tongue out at him. Dick opens his mouth as if to say something else but changes his mind, instead he gives her one of those smiles that says more than a thousand words could.</p><p>“Well, Eleanor. Welcome to the family,” Haly doesn’t lean in to hug her, instead he grabs her free hand with both of his, squeezing gently. The feeling of being overwhelmed is not something that happens to her a lot, Eleanor’s supposed to be able to calculate the next ten move of those around her before they even make it. But when she looks from Haly, to Dick, and the other people around her, she swallows a lump forming in her throat. It’s like a switch flips, and immediately after Haly’s acceptance of her the rest of them – of Dick’s family, reach out to introduce themselves, to tell her how cute of a couple her and Dick is.</p><p>Eleanor has never felt more welcome anywhere in her entire life.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>I don't speak Romani or French, it's google translated or researched to the best of my ability but if there are mistakes feel free to correct them.</p><p>Chapter title are named after The Greatest Showman by Panic! At The Disco.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. You Know my Heart by Heart</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>This chapter contains smut.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <em>--- 2013 – July – Paris ---</em>
</p><p> </p><p>They’re invited to stay – more like the rest of the circus folk just assume they’re staying, as they begin to plan a cookout, Eleanor certainly doesn’t complain, as soon as the circus closes for the evening everyone brings out chairs and tables towards the back of the place. Closer to the trailers than the tents. Roman tells her and Dick that they’re gonna start a bonfire and asks for assistance in collecting firewood. Chairs and large logs are brought out for people to sit on next to it as it’s lit. Roman turns to the two of them, eyes flickering in curiosity for a moment, by now he’s changed out of the purple leotard and is wearing shorts and a white button up.</p><p>“Are you a good cook, Eleanor?”</p><p>Dick snorts, coughing on the water he’d just sipped. She shoots him a glare, reaching over to pinch him, but he twists away from her before she can touch him.</p><p>“No.” Eleanor says then, turning her attention back towards Roman, “…but I’m good with knifes.”  </p><p>Roman smiles tentatively, scratching the back of his head and gives Eleanor a bit of a nervous chuckle, “I guess you could chop the salad? If you want to, that is.”</p><p>“Sure,” she smiles, “lead the way.” As Roman leads her off to the trailers she shoots a look over her shoulder towards her boyfriend and pokes her tongue out. Dick’s brilliant laughter makes her smile to herself.</p><p>The trailer door Roman opens for her already smells like spices that leave her salivating and inside there’s a middle aged woman in a dark red sparkly dress that flows with her as she moves. Her blonde hair is tied up in a messy bun and her green eyes sparkle in delight when she spots Eleanor.</p><p>“Ah, Roman! And <em>mademoiselle </em>Eleanor, yes?”</p><p>She nods.</p><p>“Please come in, I am <em>Madame Amélie Laurens</em>. I would shake your ‘and, but I am, ah <em>sale</em>, unclean.” Amélie holds her hands up, showing the oils and spices from the bowl of meat she’s rubbing it into.</p><p>“Eleanor’s going to help us with the salad,” Roman informs, moving past the two of them to the small kitchen bench, waving Eleanor over. He helps her find her way in the kitchen, getting the knife, bowl and vegetables ready for her.</p><p>“I’ll be right back,” Roman tells her once she gets started, “I just need to check on the potatoes, Raya can’t be trusted with them.”</p><p>Eleanor nods, before re-focusing on her task. Madame Amélie hums a soft melody behind her, the tune is familiar, but she can’t quite put her finger on it.</p><p>“<em>Dîtes-moi</em>, Eleanor, do you believe in destiny?”</p><p>The question kind of throws her, and she pauses with the knife for a second.</p><p>“I can’t say I do,” Eleanor replies carefully before she resumes chopping the tomato, she really doesn’t want to unintentionally insult the woman, but lying would benefit no-one.</p><p>“Hmm… I am <em>une</em> <em>voyante,</em> a fortune teller.”</p><p>
  <em>Oh. That’s… great.</em>
</p><p>Sure Eleanor’s aware of magic, the real kind that Leaguers like Zatanna Zatara practises. But most people that claim mystical knowledge are phonies. People that take advantage of the weak-willed and ignorant. Or worse, those who claim to speak for the dead, squeezing every last cent out of grief-struck men and women.</p><p>Magic. Just the thought of it makes Eleanor uneasy, there was no logic behind it. When she fought something, understanding it was a large part of the process. Magic was chaos, unreliable chaos. Even those who claimed to use it for good were dangerous. There was a reason the Batcomputer had an entire hard drive dedicated towards stopping them. Good or bad.</p><p>“Please, <em>mon chére</em>, speak your mind. You will not offend me.” Amélie laughs pleasantly. Eleanor bites back a sigh. <em>I don’t believe in magic.</em> False. She’s seen it with her own eyes.</p><p>“Most that claim mystical powers are…” she pauses, searching for the right word.</p><p>“<em>Escrocs</em>,” the blonde woman says, “Con artists, yes?”</p><p>Eleanor really wants Roman to come back now, because she’s trying really hard not to insult Amélie and <em>wow,</em> her people skills needs some work. When did she get so bad at small talk?</p><p>
  <em>You’re used to the stuck up elite of Gotham.</em>
</p><p>“Yes.” Eleanor echoes, forcing her hand to stay steady when she cuts into the cucumber.</p><p>“I can tell you are a principled woman, you have a tough shell, but on the inside, you are <em>chaleureux.</em> Compassionate, no?”</p><p>“You read people well,” Eleanor replies instead of answering the question – really, it’s more of a statement anyway. “I’m sure you can tell me all kinds of things about myself.”</p><p>Okay. Wow. Eleanor. Way to keep it friendly.</p><p>Amélie laughs, a pleasant soft sound that kind of makes Eleanor wants to smile.</p><p>“I could tell you that you are a private woman, and a dangerous woman.”</p><p>Eleanor stares at the knife in her hand, then at the pieces of vegetables cut in neat rectangular bits. As if cut by a machine. She intentionally makes the next couple of pieces uneven.</p><p>“I can also tell you that you love Richard Grayson very much,” Amélie continues.</p><p>“But you didn’t get these things from seeing the future, or reading my palm or cards or whatever, you’re just good at reading body language.” – And Eleanor had let her guard down. <em>Foolish. Amateurish. </em>Bruce would be very disappointed. She glares angrily at the vegetables in front of her.</p><p>“Perhaps,” the woman says, Eleanor doesn’t need to look at her to know that Amélie is smiling. “Or perhaps I see things differently, <em>chére</em>.”</p><p>Eleanor wants to snort, or scoff, say something like <em>‘yeah, sure, whatever, Crazy’</em>. Instead she keeps her mouth firmly shut. She’s instantly relieved when the door cracks open and Roman pokes his head through it.</p><p>“Doing okay, Eleanor?”</p><p>“Sure,” she forces a smile on her face, “almost done.”</p><p>“Good,” Roman glances between the two of them. Reading the slight tension in the room. Though Eleanor would have to admit, it was mostly (only) coming from her. She isn’t surprised that Roman reads people too, as an entertainer she’s fairly certain it’s part of the job.</p><p>“Oh,” Amélie says then, and laughs that laugh that sounds like bells again. <em>“Je vois.”</em></p><p>This time Eleanor doesn’t hold back how strained her voice is, <em>“see what?”</em></p><p>“You wish to have sex with Richard, no?”</p><p>The blade of the sharp knife cuts into her index finger, she curses loudly, reaching out to grab a paper towel to rip a piece off to press against the wound, then quickly grabbing the knife to wash away the blood on it under the tap. Only after the blood is gone does she allow herself to feel the embarrassment and Eleanor tries to desperately collect herself before she turns around, taking a long quiet breath. Roman’s eyes are wide, and his ears are red when their eyes meet, mouth slightly open before he clears his throat in unease.</p><p>
  <em>“Amélie!”</em>
</p><p>The woman doesn’t look at all perturbed, she doesn’t even look over to meet Roman’s mortified eyes.</p><p>“That’s–“ <em>none of your business.</em> “Why would–, I-I mean…” Eleanor sputters, and yeah, she’s definitely blushing now.</p><p>“It’s all right, <em>chére</em>,” Amélie sooths, the smile on her lips isn’t teasing at all, it’s kind. “You do not need to feel…” she purses her lips, “<em>honteux,</em> what is the English word?”</p><p>
  <em>Ashamed.</em>
</p><p>“I’m not,” Eleanor isn’t ashamed for how she feels about Dick, she loves him, wants to experience every aspect of life with him. But to have it pointed out by strangers? Yeah, Eleanor could live without that. “You caught me off guard, that’s all.”</p><p>Amélie puts her hands on Eleanor’s shoulders, there’s a stark difference in height. Eleanor’s almost a whole foot taller.</p><p>“I ‘ope I have not offended you, <em>chére</em>. Richard’s mother was a dear friend, and I care for the boy, I wish ‘im only ‘appines, yes?”</p><p>She offers the woman a slightly taut smile, “don’t worry <em>Madame</em>, I’m not offended.” Uncomfortable, yes. Offended, no. Amélie smiles back, it’s a soft calming smile that seem to ease the tension in the trailer. Only a little though.</p><p>“All that matters is that you love Richard, ‘is parents would be proud of ‘is choice in partner.”</p><p>“That-,” Eleanor pauses, swallowing back the sudden burst of emotions that threatens to spill over, “that means a lot,” she murmurs, her voice soft. Amélie smiles brightly.</p><p>“Go,” she says nodding to the door, “I will finish up ‘ere.”</p><p>Eleanor opens her mouth to protest, she wasn’t completely done with the salad yet, but Amélie just shakes her head, shooing Eleanor and Roman out of the trailer.</p><p>“So, uhm,” Roman clears his throat, rubbing the back of his neck, “sorry about Amélie.”</p><p>“It’s… okay,” Eleanor fidgets on the spot, drumming her fingers against her bare arm. “She’s just looking out for Dick.”</p><p>“Right,” Roman drops his hand, gesturing back towards the tables, “you go ahead, I’m just going to make sure the rest is ready.”</p><p>“Okay,” Eleanor nods, offering Roman a small – hopefully not awkward, smile.</p><p> </p><p>She finds her way back to the fire, people are already gathered around it, it’s easy to spot Dick amongst them, he’s chatting with Raya and some other guys that look about their age. He sees her as she walks over and grins widely, wrapping an arm around her waist when she’s within hugging distance. Eleanor definitely doesn’t miss the way Raya gives Dick’s hand around her a look of distaste. Dick doesn’t seem to notice it though, as he kisses the side of her head.</p><p>“How’d it go?”</p><p>“I met Amélie,” Eleanor replies, biting her lip. “She’s… interesting.”</p><p>“Did she try to read your fortune?” Dick chuckles, he’s well aware about her aversion towards magic and she knows he’s a bit more open minded about it, more trusting. She shakes her head quickly. There’s a chuckle from the other guys and she gives them a curious look. Dick gestures to the taller one, brown hair and whiskey coloured eyes.</p><p>“This is Raymond, and that fella over there is Zane.” Zane nods in greeting, there’s something about his hazel eyes that makes her a bit uneasy.</p><p>Dick continues undisturbed, “back when, well, we used to do acts together, Zane was our catcher-“</p><p>“-and Dick was the star of the show!” Raymond interrupts, there’s a hint of bitterness when he says it, she can tell Dick notices it too when he smiles a bit tersely, his voice gentle when he speaks.</p><p>“We were a team, Raymond.”</p><p>“Eventually,” Raymond shrugs, his eyes turning to her. “So you’re Eleanor?”</p><p>“That’s me,” she replies, “it’s nice to meet you.”</p><p>“Sure, sure,” Raymond waves his hand a little, almost dismissively, “you’re a Wayne right, as in Bruce Wayne’s daughter. Thought I recognized you from those gossip magazines. What was the one? Hmm… something about early graduation?” Eleanor feels herself tense up at the words, someone was bound to make the connection sooner or later, but she’d hoped to at least spend a day without having her last name take the spotlight. There had been a reason why she’d only introduced herself using her first name.</p><p>Eleanor manages a bit of a strained laugh, “uh, yeah, that one. You’d think they’d have better things to write about.” She definitely doesn’t miss Raya rolling her eyes, even though the redhead tries to hide it behind her mug.</p><p>Zane raises an eyebrow, “so, wait, you’re dating Wayne’s daughter? The same guy who adopted you?”</p><p>“Not adopted,” Dick replies evenly, almost curtly, “took me in as a ward. There’s a difference, I’m not a Wayne.”</p><p>“Don’t mind <em>them,</em> Dick,” Raya says with a roll of her eyes, “they’re just being assholes.”</p><p>“Yeah,” Zane says chuckling, “just messin’ with you Dickie. We’re just mostly surprised you actually managed to score a hot chick.” Raymond elbows Zane hard but they both laugh.</p><p>“Wow.” Raya scoffs, shaking her head to both Raymond and Zane. “All you see is tits, right? Grow up.”</p><p>Dick mouths ‘sorry’ when Eleanor looks at him, but she just shakes her head, squeezing the hand she’s got over Dick’s shoulder. Raya also gives her an apologetic look though it borders on embarrassed, Eleanor can’t decide if it’s genuine or not.</p><p>“I’m going to get some more drinks, you wanna give me a hand Eleanor? Get away from the testosterone for a bit?”</p><p>“Uh, sure,” she lets go of Dick again, catching the annoyed look in his face, the way his lips were ever so slightly pursed, his brow furrowed. But he nods encouragingly towards her when she hesitates, so Eleanor turns around and starts walking towards the waiting Raya. The older woman leads her through the trailer camp until she stops by number sixteen, the bold letters of ‘Vestri’ underneath it.</p><p>“Sorry about them, they don’t know how to act around women,” Raya says, pulling her red hair up in a ponytail before she unlocks the trailer.</p><p>“I’ve got pretty thick skin,” Eleanor replies evenly, still on guard, Raya had made it pretty clear she didn’t like her, so what the hell was she up to? “Besides, I know what Dick and I am.”</p><p>Once inside Raya starts pulling out bottles and cans from a fridge, she glances over her shoulder to Eleanor for a second, her green eyes piercing.</p><p>“What is that exactly?”</p><p>Eleanor frowns.</p><p>“I mean, you act like his girlfriend and all, but how serious are you?” Raya stands up, the fridge slams close when she levels Eleanor with a glare. And Eleanor, she almost wants to laugh, she’s stared down glares from <em>Batman</em>, she’s not going to be intimidated by a eighteen-year-old with a superiority complex.</p><p>“Why do you hate me so much?” Eleanor asks instead, holding the older woman’s gaze with her own.</p><p>“I don’t know you; I wouldn’t call it hate. More like indifference.” Raya tilts her head up slightly, her back straightening. She’s trying to make herself look taller, more intimidating. Might have worked on literally any other person.</p><p>“I’ve seen the way you look at me,” Eleanor replies with a click of her tongue. “I get it, you’re protective over a friend you haven’t seen in a while-“</p><p>“<em>Friend,</em>” Raya interrupts, “if <em>your father</em> hadn’t stolen Dick from us, he would be where he belongs. With people that actually care about him.”</p><p>Ah, there it was. Eleanor opens her mouth to retort, but Raya interrupts her again by taking an aggressive step forward.</p><p>“He would be with someone his <em>parents</em> would approve of, a Romani. Not some stuck up high-society rich-girl <em>gaje</em>!”</p><p>Eleanor feels her fingers clench into fists but reigns in the temptation to punch the arrogant look off Raya’s face. Getting into a fist fight with Dick’s childhood friend wasn’t exactly why she was here. Eleanor takes a deep calming breath.</p><p>“I may not have known Mary and John Grayson like you did.” Eleanor starts slowly, forcing her jaw to relax, trying to keep herself from sounding too much like her father. “But I’m pretty sure that they wouldn’t have cared about where I’m from, or how much money I got as long as their son chose for himself.”</p><p>Eleanor closes the distance between them, very much towering over the older woman. Eleanor <em>knew</em> how terrifying she could be, as <em>Nightingale</em> even the most hardened of criminals feared her. She had to hand it to Raya though, the woman wasn’t backing down.</p><p>“And he did. Choose me. You can either accept it or not. Your opinion matters very little to me.”</p><p>Raya’s lips curls back in a sneer but Eleanor can see the flicker of uncertainty – of fear, in her green eyes. Eleanor reaches past the other woman, grabbing some of the bottles and cans they’d come for in the first place to pick as many as she can up before she meets the other woman’s gaze again, daring her to say something, <em>anything.</em></p><p>Raya keeps her mouth shut.</p><p> </p><p>Once back at the tables, Eleanor places all the drinks down before re-joining Dick, Roman, Raymond and Zane by the fire. Roman smiles happily when he spots her, giving Eleanor a small wave. She smiles back before leaning in to press a quick kiss to Dick’s cheek.</p><p>“Hi babe,” Dick beams towards her, he seems back to his usual cheery self, and both Raymond and Zane shoot her apologetic glances. Dick’s eyes flickering from her to Raya, still quietly walking behind her. “Did you two have a good chat?”</p><p>Eleanor looks behind her, meeting Raya’s eyes for a moment as she tilts her head.</p><p>“It was enlightening, right Raya?”</p><p>“Uh, yeah,” the other woman says, a forced smile appearing on her face. When Eleanor looks back to Dick, he’s got an eyebrow raised, his eyes narrowing ever so slightly. She knows he knows, it’s painfully obvious when he tugs her closer as Eleanor hears the call of food being served and the rest of the people around them quickly move over to the tables.</p><p>“Are you okay?” Dick’s voice is soft, concerned.</p><p>She holds back a sigh, “I am, Raya doesn’t like me very much though and uhm, I might have intimidated her a little.”</p><p>“Intimidated her?”</p><p>Eleanor bites the inside of her cheek, “what does <em>‘gaje’</em> mean?”</p><p>The look on Dick’s face hardens and for a very brief moment she sees anger in his eyes as he looks over her shoulder.</p><p>“Raya called you that?”</p><p>“Well, she called me a ‘high-society rich-girl <em>gaje’</em>,” Eleanor shrugs, “and she’s right about some of it, I just have no idea what the last word means.”</p><p>Dick stares at her for a moment before he lets out an exasperated sigh.</p><p>“It translates into peasant.”</p><p>Eleanor snorts, “then her insult is rather contradictory.” Dick’s lips twitch into a smile that doesn’t quite reach his eyes.</p><p>“It’s the literal translation, but that’s not what it means. It’s…” he grimaces, “It’s what some Romani people call none-Romani. It’s not very nice.”</p><p>Eleanor can tell it’s bothering him, a lot more than it’s bothering her. She smiles gently, placing her hand on his cheek.</p><p>“Raya cares about you Dick, she just doesn’t want to see you hurt,” Eleanor says, reaching up to comb a stubborn strand of hair away from his face.</p><p>“It doesn’t give her the right to be rude to you,” Dick grimaces, “or what Zane said,” she hates seeing this kind of frown on his face, the one that tells her that he somehow blames himself.</p><p>“They’re wary of me, I’m a <em>gaje</em>, remember? Besides, Dick, I know what I am, who I am, Raya or Zane isn’t going to change that.”</p><p>“You’re not an outsider to me… Or Mr Haly for that matter,” he pauses, “I’ll talk to them, make them understand,” he says, squeezing her hands between his.</p><p>“Okay,” she smiles, leaning forward to press her forehead against his. Whatever will give him some peace of mind. Though… “Let’s go eat? I’m starving and the food smells really nice.”</p><p>Dick chuckles at that, he throws an arm over her shoulder as they walk over to the tables. Amélie gives them both a friendly smile, seating them down next to the head of the table, near Mr Haly.</p><p>If the food smells nice, it tastes even better. It’s a proper barbeque cookout, food and drink is passed around and conversations never stop, Eleanor can also hear music coming from one of the trailers, it’s nice slow melody that fits the summers warm weather. Dick’s attention keeps being pulled in various directions to answer questions about his life since leaving the circus, and though Eleanor is definitely included in the conversations she prefers to listen as Dick rather animatedly tells them about growing up in the manor.</p><p>He leaves out their… nightlife, for obvious reasons.</p><p>“Dickie,” Haly says then, once most of the food has been eaten and people have started to take care of dishes, and the sun finally sets. “I have something for you, something that rightly belongs to you.”</p><p>Dick – still all smiles, turns towards the owner of the circus, “what is it?”</p><p>Haly digs through his pocket and holds out a small keychain towards Dick, placing it in Dick’s waiting hand before closing it with his own.</p><p>“A trailer key?” Dick murmurs, blinking back up towards the older man.</p><p>“<em>Your</em> trailer, your parents trailer,” Haly says, “It’s been untouched all these years, waiting for you to come back, kiddo.”</p><p>Eleanor shivers, she’s unsure if it’s because of Haly’s words or the slow creeping cold. Dick is silent for a long time, before he places his free hand over the older.</p><p>“Thank you,” it’s soft, almost a whisper but Haly seems to hear it anyway, offering a sad smile in return.</p><p>“Now, these old bones need to get some rest.” Haly says, clearing his throat, almost immediately Bryan, Mister Haly’s son, is by his side. “You remember the number, don’t you Dickie?”</p><p>“Yeah,” Dick smiles, “I do.”</p><p>“Tomorrow we’ll have to see if you’ve kept up with your acrobatics!” Haly says, loud enough that it draws the attention of several others nearby. Dick laughs then.</p><p>“Don’t expect too much, there’s no trapeze lines in the manor.”</p><p><em>Technically not a lie</em>, Eleanor thinks, the trapeze lines were in the cave, something her dad had put up, according to him it was ‘good aerial training’. But honestly, she thinks Bruce had done it just because Dick enjoyed it so much.</p><p>Haly waves as though what Dick had just said was nonsense, before saying his goodnights and walking off towards one of the trailers.</p><p>Dick slumps slightly in the chair, she leans over and touches his shoulder.</p><p>“You okay?”</p><p>He nods, holding the key up between them. “Want to go check it out?”</p><p> </p><p>They attempt to help with the clean-up but Amélie tells them both off for it with a pearly white smile on her lips. So instead they wander hand in hand towards the trailers, the one they’re looking for is parked a bit further away from the lived in ones. But eventually Dick gestures with his free hand towards a silver coloured caravan. There’s a large number twelve on the door, with a neatly written ‘Grayson’ under it.</p><p>Dick pauses by the door, his hand reaching up to trace across the letters of his last name. Eleanor waits patiently, lets him absorb, lets him feel what he needs to feel. She has nothing to compare it to. Sure, her own mother died, but Eleanor had never known the woman, never had enough time to establish an emotional connection to her. She could only sympathise, acknowledge what Dick’s feeling and show compassion afterwards.</p><p>When he lifts his other hand – the one with the key, to unlock the door his hand is trembling. So she slowly lifts her own, giving him enough opportunity to withdraw if he wants, and gently places it over his, guiding the key to the lock. When the key slips in with a satisfying click, they both let out a breath she hadn’t even realised they’d been holding. Eleanor wants to ask him if he’s okay, but even breathing normally seems too loud in the slight chill of the summer evening. So instead she trails her fingers up his bare arm and squeezes, in question or in support, most likely both. The tension in Dick’s shoulders drop ever so slightly, then he twists the key in the lock and pulls the door open.</p><p>Stale air and dust greets them, Dick hesitates several minutes before he steps inside, she follows a moment later, glancing around after shutting the door. Straight ahead from the door there’s a counter with a sink, to the left of it there’s an oven and to the left of the oven there’s a fridge with a bunch of magnets and drawings as well as what looks like a grocery list on it. Even in the dim light she can see that they all follow a pleasant baby blue colour scheme. To the right of the sink there’s a black curtain, and over the curtain there’s three cupboards. Opposite the fridge there’s an oak table and a beige couch, strewn across the table there’s a bunch of envelopes and paper, with more of the same baby blue coloured cupboards above it. Furthest in the caravan there’s a double bed with a white and blue cover over it. A couple of clothes are laid out on top of it. It looks like a well lived-in cosy home that someday, had just been walked away from.</p><p>Dick trails his fingers across the furniture in quiet reverie scattering dust up in the air. Eleanor debates for a moment if she should attempt to open one of the windows next to the double bed at the back but decides against it. They had enough time, there was no need to rush.</p><p>She crouches down in front of the fridge; it’s littered with different types of magnets. Some are smiley faces, others are letters. What catches her attention though is the crayon drawing, it depicts three stick figures in blue, in front of a large red and yellow tent with a bunch of greens and darker blues around them. The smallest of the stick figures is holding hands with one that got long brown hair, and one that got short black hair. The bottom of it reads ‘Richard 3 years old’ in a neat handwriting. A small laugh escapes her, breaking the spellbound silence.</p><p>She looks up to meet Dick’s eyes, “I had no idea you were such an artist.” He blinks before crouching down next to her, his hand coming out to trace his fingers over the drawing then he chuckles softly.</p><p>“I remember mom refusing to take that down,” Dick says, his lips twitches up into a smile, “said it was a masterpiece and her favourite.”</p><p>“I can see why,” Eleanor hums, “I’m particularly fond of the amount of colours you used.” She leans towards him to nudge her shoulder against his, and he laughs quietly. Dick’s gaze and hand drifts upwards along the fridge, he plucks a picture off it, holding it so that they both can see it. It’s a polaroid picture of the three of them. Mary Grayson has an arm wrapped around little six or seven year old Dick while John Grayson's arm is thrown over Mary’s with his other hand extended in front of them holding the camera. They’re all smiling, and Dick’s white shirt is covered in cotton candy.</p><p>Before Eleanor can say anything, Dick stands up and moves over to the curtained off area pulling back on the black fabric to reveal a bed with a blanket on it that depicts Jay Garrick’s Flash symbol. For a moment Dick pauses before he shakes his head and kneels onto the bed, muttering under his breath as he searches for something she can’t see.</p><p>“Dick?”</p><p>“Just trying– ah! Got it!” He sits down on the bed then, patting the spot next to him as he looks at her and brings out a worn looking brown photo album to rest it on his lap. Eleanor shuffles over, dropping her purse by the bed as she sits down, peering curiously at the book.</p><p>“Mom was nuts about photos, insisted on carrying a camera with her everywhere,” Dick murmurs as he flips the first page open. Eleanor makes a noise at the back of her throat – that she doesn’t recognize, at the first couple of pictures, Mary and John’s wedding day. “Of course dad was usually the one taking the pictures.”</p><p>“She’s so beautiful,” Eleanor says, Mary’s dress is a proper nineties dress with puffy arms and no sleeves. Her dark brown hair is lose in a curled hairstyle down her back with a long veil falling behind her. It’s not very fancy or expensive looking, but she manages to make it look elegant even with the large toothy smile on her lips. Whoever had taken the picture had captured the exact moment John had turned to look at her – the motion that had probably caused the strands of his black hair to fall onto his forehead, his eyes wide in wonder and love.</p><p>There’s more similar looking photos too, John feeding Mary a piece of cake and then the aftermath of Mary laughing at a stunned looking John with cake on his cheek. Each and every one of the pictures makes Eleanor feel all mushy inside, her understanding how Dick had become a guy filled with so much love and happiness growing every second.</p><p>“I used to look at this a lot,” Dick says, flipping to the next page. The next pictures are more casual, one that stands out is a photo of John on his back, the camera just over him. He’s young, maybe in his early twenties. His black hair is a bit longer than in the previous ones, enough to fall into his eyes. His tanned skin – the same colour as Dick’s shines in the sunlight. Baby blue eyes are not focused on the camera, instead they’re looking at whoever’s behind it, which Eleanor assumes is Mary. He looks so much like Dick, <em>(well, the other way around)</em>, that she has to do a double take and at a closer inspection she can tell the subtle differences, John’s jaw in wider and his nose is bigger, and their eyes are not quite the same shade – Dick’s eyes are darker.</p><p>“You look so much like him,” Eleanor hears herself say, echoing the people from earlier.</p><p>“I’d hope so,” Dick laughs quietly, “he’s my dad after all.”</p><p>“Sorry,” she says feeling a bit sheepish as she looks at him, “I know you’ve heard it all day.”</p><p>“It’s okay, it’s actually nice to hear.” He replies with a shrug. Eleanor glances back towards the book, biting her lip.</p><p>“So, tell me,” she starts, looking back towards him, “are there baby pictures?”</p><p>Dick snorts, shaking his head at her fondly though not in a way that says ‘no’ and starts flipping through the album until he stops and tilts it to her.</p><p>The first picture is a red faced Mary in bed, her stomach is swollen from pregnancy and she looks… <em>peeved</em>. The next one is still Mary, but she looks sleepy and worn out, cradling a blanketed baby in her arms. The one after that is a close up of baby Dick, eyes tightly shut and red faced with a small pink hat over his head.</p><p>The sound that Eleanor makes this time is dangerously close to a cooing noise, “you’re adorable!”</p><p>“Of course I am,” he replies cockily. Eleanor elbows him in the ribs without looking up from the photos, and Dick makes a low ‘oof’ noise as he rubs a hand over the offended area.</p><p>There’s more pictures after that, the entire first year of his life documented. Eleanor can’t help herself making a breathy giggly noise when she flips the page and it show’s Dick sat in a high chair with a cake covered in blue frosting in front of him. John is standing by his side, holding on to Dick’s hands with the one candle lit in the middle of it. Of course the one with the candle taken out is a mess, the cake doesn’t resemble anything close to what it had originally looked like and most of it are over John and Dick respectively. Eleanor can imagine Mary laughing behind the camera.</p><p>Through the happiness and joy she feels flipping through the photobook with Dick occasionally making comments and telling a short story about the picture, Eleanor can’t help but feel this burning sting in her heart.</p><p>Jealousy.</p><p>It’s an ugly feeling and immediately after acknowledging it she feels ashamed. Sure, her father wouldn’t win any father of the year awards, but he cared, in his own way.</p><p>Bruce hadn’t been there all the time, most of her youth before Dick moved in had been spent with Alfred. Her father had travelled a lot, learning martial arts all over the world from the best of the best. He’d missed birthdays and important dates once she started school, when she’d started various activities like horseback riding and her poetry contests Bruce had rarely had the time to show up. The worst one were the birthdays, remembering seeing him at home during the day and when Alfred had baked a cake later during the day her father had been nowhere in sight.</p><p>When Dick had first moved in with them it had been exiting for the sole reason that Eleanor didn’t feel as alone anymore. They’d done everything together, from ‘helping’ Alfred with cooking to play pretend in the gardens. Despite everything Dick had been through, the loss of his entire life at the circus, he was like sunshine.</p><p>Eleanor might have grown up in the manor, but it wasn’t until Dick got there that it had started feeling like a home. Looking at the pictures of his life before Mary and John’s death, the warm fire that Dick had brought with him wasn’t even close to the blaze in the photos.</p><p>“Do you ever think about what would have happened if they hadn’t died?” Eleanor doesn’t look at him as the question tumbles out from her mouth. Dick stills next to her, his fingers gently caressing the worn corner of the album.</p><p>“Sometimes…” he goes quiet, Eleanor wishes she could take back the question. She glances up to look at him, Dick’s head is tilted slightly, and his eyes are unfocused, but he doesn’t look angry or annoyed at the question. There’s a sadness to him but also a fondness.</p><p>“I would be an acrobat, maybe I’d have a little sister or brother. I’d be happy, content. Traveling the world and meeting all kinds of people.” He blinks slowly, blue eyes turning to meet her gaze.</p><p>“If you could–,” Eleanor stops herself, but it’s already too late, he knows exactly what she’d been about to ask.</p><p>“Would I change it?” She doesn’t move, doesn’t avert her eyes from his despite the burning shame she feels. <em>Because she wouldn’t.</em></p><p>“It’s uh,” he pauses, swallowing as though he’s tasted something bitter, “I would like to say that I would, because I miss them, and I think I would have liked the life that I would have led if they were still around. But then I think about all the people that I’ve helped, the lives I’ve saved and if things hadn’t happened the way it did, those people would be dead, or worse.”</p><p>He holds up the picture that had been on the fridge, studying it for a moment.</p><p>“I’d like to think that mom and dad would have been proud of me. Proud of the choices I’ve made, and proud of the people I keep close to me.”</p><p>“They would be,” her voice sounds strained when she speaks, and his eyes shoot up towards hers in the dim light of the room, his face softening as he reaches up to cup her cheek. Eleanor hadn’t even realised that a tear had slipped from the corner of her eyes before he gently runs his thumb over it to wipe it away. She places her own hand over his, closing her eyes and turning her head slightly to nuzzle into his palm. When she opens her eyes again, Dick is watching her with a smile on his lips.</p><p>“They would have loved you.”</p><p>Eleanor lets out a choked noise, almost a laugh, more in surprise than anything else. “You really think so?”</p><p>“I know so,” he replies moving the photo album out of her lap and grabbing her hips, pulling her towards him so that her legs are thrown over his. Eleanor giggles as he towers over her, his fingers tickling her sides. She reaches up to wrap her arms around his neck and just looks at him. How his soft pink lips are curled upwards in a crooked smile. The way his blue eyes seems to almost glitter with sincerity and joy. Eleanor finds him indescribably breath-taking with his black hair almost falling into his eyes and adorable expression. She wants to… she wants-.</p><p>Eleanor initiates the kiss, it’s just a gentle and delicate press of her lips against his, like the brush of a butterfly’s wings. They move to lay down on the bed, but it’s cramped, this bed was not made for two sixteen-year-olds, and Eleanor bonks her head against the wall, inadvertently biting down on his lip. Dick makes a low pained noise in his throat and pulls back at the same time she yelps.</p><p>“Making out on my childhood bed sounds like a great idea in theory, but in practise…” Dick laughs, his hand still over her knee, thumb rubbing on the bare skin there.</p><p>“We’ve made out in way more cramped places,” she laughs quietly, Dick grins.</p><p>“Like the vent at Wayne Enterprises.”</p><p>“And the closet at the Academy…”</p><p>“… and in that hidey-hole in the dockside warehouse.”</p><p>They both giggle.</p><p>“I do like your choice in duvet cover though,” she hums tapping her fingers on the red and yellow Flash symbol. Dick makes a low agreeing noise as he lays down on the bed, his feet up by the pillow and managing to squirrel himself to rest his head against her forearm and she’s practically leaning over him. Eleanor can’t resist combing her fingers through his hair.</p><p>“Hey, you never told me what you and Amélie talked about,” Dick blurts out suddenly. She bites her lip, feeling her ears heat up in embarrassment. Eleanor shifts down so that she can lay next to him when she feels her arm start to go numb, pressing the front of her body against his side. He adjusts his arm to wrap around her waist.</p><p>“She just told me things I already knew,” Eleanor replies vaguely. “She’s good at reading body language.”</p><p>“Uh-huh, is that why you’ve got this?” He grabs her hand and presses his lips against her index finger, over the shallow cut. Eleanor bites the inside of her cheek; she should have known it would have been too much to ask for to have him not notice it. She exhales slowly through her nose.</p><p>“I might have been caught a little off guard,” Eleanor admits sheepishly. Dick stills, before nudging her on to her back in the small bed, peering down at her with a shit eating grin on his face, and pinning one of her hands over her head.</p><p>“<em>You</em> were caught off guard?”</p><p>“Don’t be a <em>dick</em>,” she grumbles, hiding her embarrassment with annoyance. Dick’s smile of course only widens in that way only he could when someone made a joke out of his nickname.</p><p>“It’s something embarrassing isn’t it?” He leans in closer, his nose brushing against her jaw. “Tell me.”</p><p>Eleanor reaches out with her free hand to push his shoulder back into the bed, to flip their position. But Dick sees it coming and before she knows it, he’s got her pinned to the mattress by her wrists, straddling her hips but still hunched over not to conk his head on the cupboards above him. Eleanor probably could put up more of a resistance if she really wanted to, but… she doesn’t. Dick notices it too, his smile widening into a full blown grin.</p><p>“Dork,” she says fondly.</p><p>He leans down again, brushing his lips against her cheek, “tell me… please.”</p><p>“You’re going to have to try harder than that to get information out of me, Boy Wonder.” Eleanor replies with a click of her tongue, trying – and failing, to keep a coy smile off her lips. “We went to the same school, remember.”</p><p>Dick’s eyes glitter with curiosity and heat when she issues the challenge.</p><p>“Oh,” he leans in closer, their noses almost touching, “it’s <em>on</em>, pretty bird.”</p><p>Dick tilts his head and Eleanor thinks he’s going to kiss her, so she closes her eyes on instinct. But the kiss never happens, instead Eleanor feels the warm puff of breath against her lips, an almost touch and hears the deep teasing chuckle. When she leans up, Dick pulls back, just enough that she can feel the heat of him. Eleanor tries to move her arms, but his fingers dig into her wrists, keeping her pinned on the bed. She lets out a small frustrated breath that has him chuckling. Dick moves his head, lips lightly grazing against her cheek and down her jaw until she feels him whisper right next to her ear.</p><p>“Ready to tell me yet, sweetheart?”</p><p>She opens her eyes as a shiver runs up her spine, biting her lip to muffle the noise that leaves her mouth. Dick’s fingers tightens over her wrists and she feels him nip at her earlobe, his hot breath washing down her neck forcing another shiver from her. Eleanor bites her lip as he pulls back enough so that their eyes can meet, her breathing is uneven, but so is Dick’s. Her tongue darts out to wet her lips, and she watches as his eyes follows the movement.</p><p>Dick leans in again at the same moment she arches up their lips clashing in a heavy open-mouthed kiss that leaves her gasping for breath when he pulls away. Eleanor tries to chase his lips when he does but she’s yet again reminded of the grip Dick’s got on her wrists, firmly holding her in place.</p><p>“<em>Dick,” </em>the whine leaves her without her permission, and he leans down again. This time pressing wet kisses against her jaw, over her neck, sucking on the skin there, marking her. Eleanor squirms under him, a whimper escaping her lips when she feels his teeth on her neck. “You’re not playing fair.” She complains breathlessly, straining her arms against his hold.</p><p>Dick laughs quietly against her neck. “We both know if you really want to you could escape. You want to tell me; you’re just making me work for it.”</p><p>“Ass,” Eleanor grumbles, feeling herself blush at his very accurate statement.</p><p>“I do have a great one,” Dick hums before returning to press featherlight kisses over her neck and jaw. Eleanor laughs, it’s a breathy laugh that’s cut into a moan when he presses his lips against hers again. He nips gently against her mouth and she parts her lips to allow him better access. Eleanor feels heat throughout her body when his tongue meets hers, it’s quick and electric and delicious, then firmer and more determined. Dick draws another whimper out of her again swallowed by his lips. As quick as it had happened, he pulls back. Watching her through heavy-lidded eyes. Another wave of heat pools between her legs as she watches him lick his kiss swollen lips, and she shudders at the want in his eyes.</p><p>“Dick,” Eleanor breathes out, “<em>please</em>…”</p><p>He hums almost thoughtfully; Eleanor feels his fingers rub against her wrist.</p><p>“Tell me.”</p><p>She huffs in frustration, feeling herself blush again as worries her lip between her teeth and looks away from his blue eyes. Eleanor could lie, she was good at it, you just had to add enough truth to it so that it sounded plausible. But she didn’t <em>want</em> to lie, not to Dick, never to Dick.</p><p>“Amélie asked… No she stated quite bluntly that…” she clears her throat, “uh, that I wanted to… you know,” she meets his eyes again, part of her is glad when she sees the faint pink over his own cheeks. But Dick doesn’t say anything, he waits patiently, “…sleep with you?” She <em>doesn’t</em> squeak, but her voice is certainly higher than it normally is.</p><p>“Do you?” Dick voice is hoarse, and he swallows after speaking, his electrifying gaze never leaving her. Eleanor blinks slowly, her tongue feels heavy in her mouth for a moment.</p><p>“Yes.” It’s breathy and small and Eleanor thinks that maybe she should feel embarrassed by the neediness of it, but the flare of heat in Dick’s eyes makes her entire mind go quiet. His hands releases hers moving instead to graze his knuckles against her cheek. Eleanor swallows past the nervousness she feels, reaching up to mimic his movement, running her fingers across his cheek. She wets her lips, the question burning on her tongue.</p><p>“Do <em>you</em>?”</p><p>Dick leans in so quickly it takes Eleanor’s breath away when his lips meets hers, he pulls away for a brief moment allowing her enough time to drag a shuddering breath through her open mouth. Before he cups the back of her head and pulls her away from the mattress, tilting her head so that their noses don’t bump. There’s no tongue this time, just Dick’s lips moving against Eleanor’s as if he’s trying to devour her and <em>oh, she’s totally fine with that. </em>Eleanor tangles her fingers through the strands of his hair at the nape of his neck, but she needs to… she has to… Eleanor breaks the kiss, tilting her head away even as Dick keeps leaving open mouthed kisses down her cheek and jaw. She tugs at his hair to try and get his attention but all it gets her is that shuddering moan that shoots sparks straight to her core. Eleanor bites her lip hard not to answer his moan with one of her own, placing a hand on his shoulder to nudge him away gently. Dick pulls back enough to look at her, he looks… <em>fuck</em>. She grips the duvet with her free hand, digging her fingers into the soft fabric to try and ground herself. To clear her head even if it’s just a little.</p><p><em>“Do you?”</em> Eleanor repeats, it’s important and she needs to hear him say it. Not only for her sake, making decisions in the heat of the moment is something they’ve trained for, but this was different, and she want it to be his choice just as much as it’s hers.</p><p>Dick smiles a soft smile that makes her heart stutter in her chest, “yeah, yes, I do.” His thumb strokes over her jaw, the fingers at the back of her neck scrape gently against her scalp. Eleanor nudges him again backwards this time until she’s the one straddling his lap and leans in to kiss him again.</p><p>The loud thud of the photo album hitting the floor startles the both of them enough that Dick kicks his foot into the wall and Eleanor straightens out to, once again, knock her head against the cupboards over the bed.</p><p>“Ow,” Dick groans, and she laughs. Eleanor laughs until she’s laying down on top of him with her nose buried in Dick’s shirt and she can feel him laugh too. Eleanor lifts her head to watch him, how he still got that faint flush across his cheeks, she can’t believe how utterly lucky she is to have him in her life. Can’t believe that Dick actually loves her as much as she loves him. Watching him smile and laugh is like the break of sunshine after weeks of rain or seeing the stars on a cloudless night. <em>He’s just so…</em></p><p>“You’re so beautiful,” Eleanor murmurs, stroking some hair away from his eyes. Her heart thuds in her chest, she feels warm and happy and loved. Dick’s laughter dies down to a quiet chuckle, his fingers slowly moving up her bare thighs.</p><p>Dick opens his mouth to speak but she leans in to steal another quick kiss before he can. Then she tugs gently on his cotton t-shirt.</p><p>“Take this off?”</p><p>A raised eyebrow accompanies his coy smirk as he grabs the fabric with his hands and pulls it over his head, letting the blue shirt fall to the floor on the side of the bed. Eleanor’s eyes roam over the expanse of his upper body, the scars that mar his tanned skin. She trails her fingers down Dick’s chest, over his abs and up again, meeting his eyes. His pupils are blown wide, his lips slightly parted, she kisses him and again it’s short even though he tilts his head to kiss her back. Eleanor brushes her lips against his jaw, down his neck to the dip of his collar bone and finally over his heart.</p><p>When Eleanor leans back to meet his eyes again, they’re soft and though there’s still heat still desire in them it’s mellowed somewhat. She lets out a dreamy sigh, reaching up to run her fingers through his hair for what seems like the hundredth time this night. Yet it’s not enough, Eleanor just can’t get enough of him.</p><p>“I love you so much Dick Grayson.”</p><p>She smiles, leaning in to kiss his forehead before she pulls away from him and stands. Eleanor undoes her shoes first, pulling on the strap until it unwraps her calf, then the other one. The floor feels cold on her bare feet, but the heat she feels from his eyes on her more than makes up for it. Eleanor reaches up to the zip that holds her dress together and slowly pulls it down her back. The fabric leaves goose bumps when it slides down her pale skin before pooling in a circle around her feet.</p><p>His breath catches.</p><p>“Wow.”</p><p>Dick has seen her in her underwear before – there’s only one change room and shower in the cave, but this feels different.</p><p>“Eloquent,” Eleanor breathes, trying to hide her nervousness by being snarky. She shifts a bit under his gaze, wondering what he’s thinking. Eleanor didn’t do many things by impulse, even this moment she’d tried to plan, but now, standing in front of him in nothing but the blue lace she’d put on earlier her carefully crafted plan was slipping through her fingers.</p><p>Another shiver runs up her spine, this time from the chill. Before Eleanor can change her mind or overanalyse the situation she kneels down on the bed. Throwing a leg over his hips and settles against him again, careful of the cupboards over her. Dick’s hands automatically come up to her thighs, she places hers on his shoulders.</p><p>“You’re gorgeous, I–“ Dick pauses his hands moving up to her waist, pulling her against his chest and the muscles in her stomach tightens when she feels his warm skin against hers. Dick’s lips brushes against hers in a sweet kiss, “Did you plan this?”</p><p>Eleanor smiles, a small and short laugh tumbling past her lips.</p><p>“You did,” he says then, smiling himself. “<em>Fuck,</em> this lace? You bought it <em>for me?</em>” Dick’s fingers trail over the strap on her back. She hesitantly rolls her hips against his still clothed groin and Dick moans, the fingers on her back digging into her flesh.</p><p>“Your favourite colour is blue,” Eleanor whispers against his neck, nipping on the skin there.</p><p>“And my favourite person is you,” Dick says, warm hands moving up and down her back.</p><p>“Cheesy, Grayson, but I’ll take it,” Eleanor giggles, she tilts her head to meet his eyes through her lashes, “you can touch me you know.”</p><p>“Aren’t I?” he questions cheekily, lips curled into a smile that’s making her melt against him. Eleanor catches one of his hands as it dips to the small of her back and presses it against her breast. Dick’s breath catches again, and he looks at her with those heavy lidded blue eyes like she’s the best thing he’s ever seen. His calloused fingers feel amazing against her soft skin as he gently squeezes his hand over her breast. Eleanor grinds down against him again and a shock of pleasure draws a whimper from her throat, Dick’s hand drops from her chest as he pulls her against him. Cupping her jaw and drawing her in for a kiss that leaves her breathless and wanting more, his hips bucking up into hers.</p><p>“Lay on your back,” Dick murmurs, she nods absentmindedly and they both shift around in the small space so that her head rests against the pillow. Eleanor’s legs stretched out on either side of his hips as Dick leans down to press his lips against hers, he nips on her lower lip before soothing it with his tongue and she moans into his mouth. Eleanor’s fingers dig into his shoulders briefly before she moves her arms down his back, scraping her nails against his golden skin.</p><p>“<em>Shit</em>… babe” he curses nose buried in her neck. Eleanor almost echoes his statement because <em>fuck </em>she wants him. “This is gorgeous on you, but can I take it off?” it’s a breathy question as Dick mouths her neck, his fingers running over the blue lace on her shoulder. Eleanor lifts herself up in response, deftly unhooking the clasp of the bra before laying back down, letting the lace slip off her arms.</p><p>Dick pulls back to look at her, his light blue eyes heavy with want, with lust, lips swollen and wet from their kissing and a faint pink blush across his cheek bones. She doesn’t feel embarrassed by his gaze on her naked chest, but she can’t help but reach up and trace the tips of her fingers against his cheek.</p><p>“You’re so pretty.”</p><p>Dick smiles, eyes meeting hers, “that’s my line.”</p><p>Eleanor props herself up on her elbows to kiss him as he hovers over her, Dick leans into it, fingers tangling in her hair as their chests touch and he presses her gently down into the bed again. There’s a fire within her that’s being fuelled by his touch, she can’t get enough of it. Eleanor hitches her leg up around his hip and in return he grinds down against her, she can feel the length of him when he does. A whimper of his name falls off her tongue in ecstasy.</p><p>Dick’s lips travel from her mouth to her cheek and down to nuzzle against her neck, his breath is hot against her as he speaks. <em>‘You’re so good to me. So beautiful. I love you.’</em></p><p>Eleanor drags her fingers down his back – feeling the bumps of scars and muscle, before dipping them beneath his shorts, feeling the fabric of his boxers. The shorts are restricting her though and she lets out a frustrated groan.</p><p>“I need–, <em>Dick please</em>.” Eleanor runs her hands down his sides, between the two of them to the button of his shorts. Dick pulls back to his haunches, batting her hands away as he undoes the button and pushes them down his thighs before wiggling free of them completely, leaving her with a view of black boxer briefs and the length of him pressed against the cloth. When Dick shuffles forward again to lean back down Eleanor presses the palm of her hand against his chest, halting him and feeling the quickened beat of his heart. Dick raises a questioning eyebrow.</p><p>“I want to see you,” Eleanor mumbles, trailing her hand down his hardened abs and the fine line of black hair that disappears behind his boxers. After a moment of just looking at him Eleanor smiles, meeting his eyes again.</p><p>“If you–“</p><p>“You’re beautiful,” she interrupts, leaning up to kiss his chest. Dick’s shoulders shake with silent laughter.</p><p>“You’re gonna give me a complex.” He murmurs fondly and Eleanor pulls him back down for another kiss, the thin material of their underwear being the only thing that separates them now. The furthest they’ve ever gone. Eleanor feels like she’s got butterflies in her stomach, but she still hooks her legs around his, feeling the thin hair on his thighs tickle her. He grinds down against her again and they both break the kiss to moan, before Dick dips his head to mouth at her collar bone, and then lower. Eleanor cups the back of his head, fingers tangling in his hair as his lips wrap around her right nipple, a low whine making its way out of her throat.</p><p>“<em>Dick</em>,” she pants, tugging at his hair when his tongue flicks at her. Dick hums, the vibrations sending waves of heat down her body and she shudders heavily. He swaps to her other breast after a moment, giving it the same treatment while she whimpers and moans his name like a prayer, using her legs to gain leverage to grind her hips into his sending shocks of pleasure that makes her feel numb and too much all at once.</p><p>Dick’s mouth continues to travel down the muscled expanse of her stomach, pressing his tongue into her navel and startling a laugh out of her. He rests his cheek against Eleanor’s hip, peering up at her with heavy lidded blue eyes, Dick’s thumb stroking over the lace covering the most intimate part of her.</p><p>“Can I take this off too?” Dick’s question is soft, his warm breath over her belly makes her muscles tense up briefly. Eleanor nods, lips parting slightly as she watches him. He nuzzles against her hip for a moment, pressing featherlight kisses just above the blue lace before he sits back, and warm fingers hook into the fabric. Eleanor lifts her hips off the mattress, Dick slides her underwear down her legs, before dropping it with the rest of their clothing on the floor.</p><p>For a moment Eleanor’s got an overwhelming need to cover herself up, to draw her knees together to stop his wandering gaze from seeing her. Instead she lets him look and look he does. Dick’s eyes roam over her body like Eleanor’s a glass of cool water in a desert.</p><p>“You’re so beautiful, so strong, so graceful…” Dick’s lips punctuate every word with a kiss on the inside of her knee, his hands stroking up her thighs. “So…<em> mine.”</em></p><p>Eleanor’s breath hitches, her eyes flutter closed for a moment and a soft gasp leaves her lips. She’s blushing all over now, Eleanor’s heart is beating faster than she ever remembers it doing before, even her breath is uneven. She feels like a mess, and she wouldn’t change anything about it.</p><p>Dick starts kissing down the inside of her thigh, his blue eyes - almost black from how far his pupils are dilated on her the whole time, until Eleanor feels his breath against her core.</p><p>“Is this okay? Can I–”</p><p>“Yes,” she nods before he’s done speaking, <em>anything</em>. Eleanor breathes out heavily, every brush of him against her feverish skin feels heavenly. Then she feels his fingers against her. Eleanor’s breath catches, she stops breathing, eyes fluttering closed. His fingers are bigger, so very different from her own. A broken moan – whine really, escapes her as she exhales. Her back arching as he explores her.</p><p><em>“</em>Babe,” Dick’s voice is hoarse, like he’d sprinted a marathon, “you’re so <em>wet</em>.”</p><p>“<em>More</em>,” she begs, mewling. Blindly reaching out towards him to tug him up to her, it’s a bit awkward but he manages to crawl up her body to press a kiss against her exposed throat, his fingers still working her closer and closer to that peak she’s chasing.</p><p>Eleanor’s left hand digs into the duvet when she feels one of his fingers dip inside her, it’s a slow and almost teasing speed that has her writhing for more. Eleanor nuzzles against the side of his head, her breath speeding up as he presses another digit inside, and then curls them perfectly. She throws her head back and cries out at the spike of pleasure.</p><p>“<em>Fuck</em>… that’s–,” Dick groans, his teeth biting down at the place where her neck and shoulder meets. It feels good, <em>hell,</em> it feels amazing but it’s not quite enough. Eleanor swallows thickly, opening her eyes to find him watching her.</p><p>“Dick, l-let me… h-here,” she shudders, her breath hitching every time his deft fingers moves against her. She kisses him hard in between gulps of breaths, moving her own hand down to help guide his, and when his thumb brushes against that spot that makes her see stars behind her eyes she bites down on his lip, before her mouth falls open. Her back arches off the bed as her eyes squeeze shut, the pressure of the orgasm takes her breath away. She’s vaguely aware that she’s making a noisy mewling sound as her body tenses before going lax.</p><p>When Eleanor comes down from her high it’s like she’s coming up from under water, noise popping back and a pleasant buzz in her head. She feels more relaxed than she ever has before, and kind of gleeful and bubbly. She presses her nose to Dick’s neck, happily nuzzling with tiny kisses against his throat.</p><p>“Love you,” Eleanor mumbles happily, she could easily get lost in his arms like this. Dick makes somewhat of a choked off noise in agreement, wrapping his arms around her and pulling her flush against him.</p><p>“That was hot,” Dick says sounding breathless himself, lips pressing against the crown of her head, “and loud, you’re loud,” he chuckles, and Eleanor feels her face heat up a bit.</p><p>“Is that bad?”</p><p>“Definitely not, it was amazing. You’re amazing, I really, <em>really </em>want to hear it again,” Dick pulls back to peer into her eyes, Eleanor can still see the burning desire on his face and feel it against her hip. She lets her eyes wander down his body, trailing her fingers down his side. Ever so gently, she grazes the tips of her fingers against the outline of his length over his underwear and his reaction is immediate. Dick’s body jerks then tenses, his breath hitches and his eyes flutter closed as he bites down on his lip, a choked off moan barely escaping.</p><p>“So pretty,” Eleanor muses again, dragging her hand up to brush his hair away from his forehead. Dick opens his eyes with a twitch of his lips. She kisses him sloppily on the lips all teeth and tongue. Nudging Dick onto his back and propping herself up on her elbow for better access, Eleanor scrapes her fingers down his chest again watching small red lines appear and fade with Dick letting out a shuddering gasp. Following the trail of black hair to the edge of his boxers Eleanor lets her fingers dip under the elastic band.</p><p>“I’m completely naked,” Eleanor says, as if she’s mulling it over, before her lips twitch up in a coy smile and she meets his light blue eyes, “fair’s fair, right?”</p><p>“Fair’s fair,” Dick agrees with a quiet laugh, pushing his hips up to kick his underwear away. Eleanor holds her breath for a brief second as she’s looking at him, splayed out in front of her entirely naked, when their eyes meet Eleanor sees no shame or embarrassment in them, just heat, longing, love. Dick is perfect in her eyes, with his sun-kissed golden skin, dark hair ruffled <em>by her</em>, the blue of his eyes only a faint circle around his blown pupils, lips swollen and wet from their copious kissing.</p><p>Eleanor wants to kiss – to taste, every last bit of him, but…</p><p>“… maybe later,” she murmurs, reaching out for him.</p><p>“Maybe wh<em>ah</em>–!” Dick’s voice cuts into a low pitched whine when she finally, <em>finally</em> wraps a hand around him. He’s firm and hot and smooth in her hand. For a moment she tries to remember the stuff she’s read about pleasure for a man, but it’s all too technical. Instead Eleanor reads Dick’s body language, the squirming and the twitching, hips jerking up to meet her hand, his breath stuttering and the noises of pure bliss leaving his lips.</p><p>She twists her hand with his gasps, reaching down with her other hand to dig her nails into his thigh, and his hips jerks upwards with a long drawn out moan spilling from his rosy lips. Eleanor can feel the heat off her own cheeks as she continues to stare at him. <em>Perfect, so breathtakingly perfect. </em></p><p>Eleanor keeps moving her hand but leans down over him, pressing her lips to his chest and up to his collar bone and neck. She watches Dick’s fingers dig into the cover, hears the low moans as she nuzzles against his throat, breathing in the salty scent of him.</p><p>“You’re perfect,” Eleanor murmurs in worship, “I love you so much. Trusting me like this, <em>God,</em> Dick, you’re just so fucking beautiful. Not just this,” Eleanor continues, dragging her fingers up his body, cupping his cheek, he leans into her hand. “But this too,” gently she brushes her free hand and fingers against his temple, “inside out. Beautiful. I’m so damn <em>lucky</em>.”</p><p>“I-I… <em>Ellie</em>,” Dick shudders, capturing her lips in an open-mouthed kiss before pulling away, “I-<em>fuck,</em> I need to… <em>ah!</em> S-stop,” he gasps the last word, Dick’s hand coming to grab at her wrist and Eleanor releases him as if she’d burned herself.</p><p>“Are you okay?” She asks, worrying her lip between her teeth and combing through his hair, trying to sooth his ragged breathing. Dick brings her hand up and kisses her palm, opening his eyes to look at her with a bit of a bashful smile after.</p><p>“More than okay, I just didn’t…” he clears his throat, “didn’t want it to end so soon.”</p><p>Relief floods through her, <em>thank God she hadn’t hurt him.</em> After how good Dick had made her feel earlier, Eleanor just wanted – no, <em>needed</em> to return the favour. To make him understand how much he meant to her, not just through words. Eleanor would take a bullet for him, <em>had</em> taken a bullet for him and never regretted it. Because of her training, she would take a bullet for <em>anyone</em> in her family – hell, even for a random stranger in the streets. Eleanor would die before letting someone get hurt that she could prevent.</p><p>With Dick – sure she would do all that too, but it wasn’t as simple as that. She wanted to live with him, love with him. Eleanor wanted to give him everything she had to offer and more.</p><p>She feels his hand on her cheek, thumb gently brushing over the blush that seem to permanently be planted there. “You okay, pretty bird?”</p><p>Eleanor places her own hand on top of his, eyes fluttering close as she leans into it.</p><p>“More than okay,” echoing his words from before.</p><p>“Good,” Dick chuckles lightly, “thought I lost you there for a moment, what are you thinking about?”</p><p>
  <em>Future, past, present, everything and nothing–…</em>
</p><p>“You,” she breathes, opening her eyes. “How much you mean to me.”</p><p>“I think I know,” Dick murmurs in reply, pulling her in to kiss her. Eleanor melts into it, his tongue licking her lips open to massage hers, it’s slow and wet and when it ends, she leans her forehead against him, letting out a soft sigh.</p><p>“I love you too, you know.” He says, his fingers ticking down her arm, lacing their fingers together.</p><p>“I know,” Eleanor blinks slowly and then unabashedly, unashamedly, “I want you.”</p><p>Dick’s breath catches, his fingers squeezing around her own, “I want you too.”</p><p>Eleanor swallows past a bit of nervousness that flutters in her stomach, reaching over the side of the bed to grab her bag. Dick watches her, propped up on his elbows. Once Eleanor finds what she’s looking for she rights herself again, holding out the small square plastic package between her fingers towards Dick. Goose bumps rise over her skin when he plucks it from her hand.</p><p>“You can never be too safe, right?” Dick says, his voice cracks a bit and he quickly clears it, looking at her with those big blue eyes of his and a blush across his cheeks.</p><p>“That’s what they say,” Eleanor hums back, <em>they’re really going to do this</em>. She feels both excited and nervous, but most of all she wants… just want’s him. Eleanor bites her lip, “do you want me to…?”</p><p>“I got it,” he laughs, Dick’s own nervousness bleeding through in his voice. Once he’s rolled the condom on, she leans in to kiss him, cupping his face between her hands and presses her lips to his eagerly. Dick lets out a muffled moan against her and Eleanor answers it by opening her mouth to touch his tongue with her own. They pull back to breathe, Eleanor leans her forehead to his and kisses the corner of his mouth.</p><p>“Are you sure?” She asks in a quiet voice, Dick hadn’t given her any reason to doubt what he wanted, but Eleanor felt like she needed to ask anyway. The corner of his lips quirk up, his hand slowly drawing patterns on her hip, and waist.</p><p>“I’m sure,” Dick’s voice is calm, steady and his hair falls into his eyes when he pulls back to meet hers, his fingers lightly trailing over her cheek and tucking her black hair behind her ear, “are you?”</p><p>Eleanor nods, smiling herself, “very sure.” She bites her lip, eyes darting around the small space they’re in. “Do you… want me to lay on my back?</p><p>Dick blinks at her for a moment, opening his mouth several times before he shakes his head. The hand on Eleanor’s hip, tugging her to the side so that she has to throw a leg over his hips to steady herself.</p><p>“Like this… is that okay?” Eleanor’s hands are either side of his shoulders, her legs either side of his hips as she peers down at him, reaching up quickly to throw her hair over one shoulder so that it won’t hit him in the face. Dick looks at her like she’s heaven sent, adoration and lust and love shining in the blue of his eyes, Eleanor has to bite her lip to keep from telling him again, <em>‘you’re so pretty’</em>. He reaches up with a hand to tug her down to him, kissing her lightly.</p><p>Eleanor sits up, still having to hunch over slightly not to knock her head into the hard wood above her. She angles her hips, wraps her fingers around him and lines them up. Ever so slowly she sinks down on him, biting her lip as she holds her breath and forcing her body to relax, Dick’s fingers dig into her thighs almost painfully, his entire body as tense as a drawn bowstring. There’s no pain, but there is a slight discomfort, Eleanor pauses several times to just breathe, allowing herself to get used to the way he feels. When Dick’s fully within her, their hips pressed flush against each other, she opens her eyes to look at him. He’s still taut, eyes shut tightly and biting down on his lip like his life depends on it.</p><p>“Dick?” Eleanor breathes out softly, reaching up to trace her fingers over his cheek. He exhales sharply, eyes fluttering open to meet hers and his fingers loosens slightly over her thighs, like he’s realised the death grip he had on them.</p><p>“I–,“ he cuts himself off and curses in Romani, “So… <em>tight</em>,” Eleanor feels heat wash over her, and she tenses up automatically, Dick groans, his hips jerks up, fingers once again digging into her flesh. Eleanor’s breath catches in her throat at the movement, a soft moan escaping her as she exhales. She places her hands on his chest to try and ground herself and rolls her hips down against his. They’re moving then, or Eleanor is, with Dick’s hands on her hips, guiding her movement. He tilts his head up enough so that he can crash their lips together.</p><p>It’s messy and wonderful, the air filled with sounds of skin against skin, their heavy breathing and creaking of the bed. She wraps her arms around his shoulders, tries to get better leverage to move them together and it’s good, but it doesn’t feel like it’s enough. The space is too cramped, Eleanor lets out a frustrated sigh against Dick’s lips.</p><p>“Can we–,” she cut herself off with another sharp gasp, a spark of pleasure shooting up her spine and she tenses. Dick groans, lips and teeth and tongue dragging over her jaw.</p><p>“Anything,” he promises breathlessly, she responds with a laugh that cuts into a moan. Eleanor stops rolling her hips against his, even though every fibre of her being is telling her <em>to keep moving.</em> Dick shuffles back slightly, his right arm on the bed to support him.</p><p>“Can you be…” Eleanor clears her throat, feeling her cheeks heat up again, “…on top?”</p><p>Dick nods, releasing her so she can shift off of him. Immediately at the loss of him Eleanor feels <em>empty</em>, she exhales sharply. Dick’s eyes close for a moment before he shifts up onto his knees and guides her to lie down, Eleanor wraps her legs around his waist again. Dick sinks into her slowly, his muscles trembling, hands on either side of her head. Eleanor’s heart feels like it’s going to leap out of her chest, when he’s fully within her once more, Dick bends down to lay against her, an arm sneaking underneath her hips to pull her up against him.</p><p>“Good?” Dick whispers into her neck.</p><p>“<em>Yes</em>,” Eleanor moans, “please <em>move</em>.”</p><p>He does. A slow, hard and almost torturous pace that at every thrust has Eleanor’s body almost bouncing against the wall of the caravan and sparks of heat and lust swelling inside of her. He keeps moaning sweet nothings into her neck, <em>‘you feel so good, pretty bird’, ‘I love you so much’ </em>and <em>‘you make such pretty noises’</em>. Spikes of pleasure surge through her at this new angle, and when Eleanor wraps her legs around his hips Dick hits a spot within her that has her throwing her head back against the pillow, her eyes squeezing shut and an obscene moan spills across her parted lips. Dick all but growls into the crook of her neck.</p><p>“P-please,” Eleanor whines, nails digging into his back, “D<em>-ick</em>, I-ngh… <em>more</em>.”</p><p>Dick’s speed picks up, with every thrust she feels sparks of pleasure and she’s so close, <em>so close</em>, she just needs… Eleanor dips her fingers down between her legs, rubbing on the spot that has her gasping. The peak she’s chasing gets higher and higher, and then she’s freefalling. Her head buzzes, her muscles tenses up, Eleanor’s moan of his name turns into a high pitched whine as Dick keeps pushing into her, drawing out the orgasm. She reaches up to tug him down into a sloppy kiss, more teeth than lips. Dick groans then a deep groan that sends another spark of pleasure down her spine, his hips stuttering against her own before he collapses on top of her, breathily speaking Romani into her neck. Through her buzz Eleanor can still make out some of the words, like <em>‘love’, ‘happy’</em> and <em>‘good’.</em></p><p>Lazily, Eleanor reaches up to comb her fingers through his damp hair. Pressing soft kisses against any part of his sweaty skin that she can reach. Enjoying the peace and quiet of the moment, until the cool air around them makes itself known and she shivers.</p><p>“Dick?” Eleanor murmurs, he lets out a low grunt in response before propping himself up on his elbows, effectively boxing her in. Dick doesn’t look at her though, he keeps pressing kisses to her neck, jaw and collarbone until she’s giggling.</p><p>“Dick,” Eleanor tries again, this time he does look up, with the dopiest smile on his lips.</p><p>“Hi.”</p><p>She snorts out a small laugh, “hi yourself, sunshine.”</p><p>Dick kisses her cheek before he shifts away from her, the moment he slips out Eleanor has to bite her lip from letting out a gasp. He gets out of the bed and she shamelessly admires his backside, until he disappears out of view. She can hear him as he moves around, humming under his breath and the rustling of a plastic bag, Eleanor takes the opportunity to kick the duvet out from under her and then crawls underneath it, hiding her sweat covered body from the chill of the air.</p><p>When the noises stop Eleanor blinks her eyes open, seeing him standing there – completely naked, head tilted and watching her. She smiles sleepily, opening up the duvet slightly.</p><p>“C’mere.”</p><p>Dick chuckles as he crawls in under it with her, it takes some manoeuvring – the bed wasn’t really made for two people, but they’ve both slept in weirder places. Eleanor ends up with her head on his shoulder, one of her legs thrown over his thigh, with Dick’s arm wrapped around her, lazily drawing patterns on her arm. Eleanor can tell he wants to say something by the third time he squirms, she sighs into his shoulder, poking him in the ribs with the arm she’s got thrown over his chest.</p><p>“What is it?”</p><p>“Nothing,” Dick replies too quickly. He squirms again. “I was just… thinking.”</p><p>“About?”</p><p>“Was it…? Did you…? I mean did you… enjoy… it?”</p><p>Eleanor stops herself from laughing, it was just <em>so</em> like him to worry about everyone else. Feeling a bit bold she smiles against his skin.</p><p>“You made me come twice, pretty boy. I think that counts as enjoying myself.”</p><p>Dick’s responding laughter makes it sound as if he’s choking on his own spit, so Eleanor props her head up worriedly to see him blushing. Her heart swells when she see the smile on his lips and the look of adoration in his eyes.</p><p>“I love you,” Dick murmurs, brushing some of her hair over her shoulder. Eleanor’s heart skips a beat.</p><p>“I love you too.”</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>This is my second attempt at writing smut, and my first time posting it. Be gentle &lt;3</p><p>French and Romani are not any of the languages I speak, therefore any mistakes you see are unintentional and feel free to correct them.</p><p>The title of this chapter is named after lyrics in the song "Heart by Heart" by Demi Lovato.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. Hold Me Like I'm Going Home</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <em>--- 2013 – July – Paris ---</em>
</p><p> </p><p><em>The best way of being woken up</em>, Eleanor thinks as she slowly comes to consciousness, <em>is by Dick pressing soft kisses against the nape of her neck and shoulder</em>. She stirs slowly, tilting her head to allow him to press his lips up her throat. Dick lets out a deep chuckle, his fingers tracing random patterns over her arm, leaving goose bumps in their wake.</p><p>“Mornin’,” he mumbles, his voice still raspy from sleep.</p><p>“Good morning,” Eleanor murmurs back, eyes still closed, enjoying the attention. She tilts her head towards him and feels his lips on her cheek.</p><p>“Did you sleep well?”</p><p>“Mhmm…” Eleanor stretches like a cat, reaching up with one hand to caress the back of Dick’s head. Her muscles feel a bit sore, but it’s a good kind of sore. “You?” He chuckles.</p><p>“I did,” Eleanor can feel his smile curve against her shoulder when he speaks, then his hand comes around her waist and pulls her back flush against his front. His lips pressing against her neck, Eleanor hums happily again, leaning back into his chest. She tugs gently on the back of his head, leaning in to press a kiss against his lips when there’s a loud rap against the door that startles the both of them.</p><p>“Grayson! You awake yet?” Eleanor recognises Zane’s deep voice as he calls out. Dick pulls away from her lips, kissing along her jaw instead.</p><p>“Maybe if we don’t say anything he’ll go away,” he murmurs, teeth nipping over her pulse. Eleanor puts her hand over her mouth to muffle her giggle.</p><p>Another rap against the door and they both hear Roman’s softer but exasperated voice, “give them a moment to wake up, will you? Impatient jerks.”</p><p>“Wakey wakey!” Raymond shouts, slamming his fist against the door as if to prove a point. Dick collapses back against the bed, an arm thrown over his eyes as he lets out a silent sigh, Eleanor smiles.</p><p>“Babe, unless you open the door they’ll break in,” she says softly. When there’s another knock, Dick groans loudly.</p><p>“Have you heathens got any idea what time it is?” he calls, a pout on his lips.</p><p>“It’s eight thirty! Time to get up!” Raya shouts, she sounds way too happy.</p><p>“We brought breakfast,” Roman calmly says once his sister is done shouting. Eleanor nudges Dick towards the edge of the bed, before burrowing down under the cover again, he gives her a look of  betrayal. Dick throws his legs over the edge of the bed, pulling his shorts and t-shirt on as he stands before leaning down and picking up the rest of their discarded clothes from the ground and putting them on the bed. Eleanor can’t see the door from her position because of the black curtain, something she’s kind of grateful for when Dick pushes the door open to let sunlight in.</p><p>For a heartbeat there’s silence, before someone wolf whistles. “Rough night Dickie?”</p><p>Eleanor feels a blush crawl up her face, her mind automatically replaying last night. <em>Biting kisses on the skin of his neck, nails digging into his back, moans of pleasure filling the air.</em></p><p>Someone high-fives, and she hears Raymond and Zane laugh.</p><p>“Good morning, Eleanor!” Raymond calls out.</p><p>“Good morning,” she replies, not bothering to hide the fact that she’s grinning like an idiot.</p><p>Dick clears his throat loudly, “you brought breakfast?”</p><p>“Uh-huh, yeah, here.” Roman says, sounding a bit apologetic.</p><p>“Thanks.”</p><p>“Mr Haly is setting up the trapeze lines for you Dick,” Raya says then, she does not sound as happy as she did a moment ago. Eleanor grins into the pillow that smells like them, that was <em>her</em> marks on his body. So sue her for being a bit petty, but Dick was <em>hers</em>, not Raya’s.</p><p>“He did mention that,” Dick replies, Eleanor can tell he’s smiling.</p><p>“Right, let’s go people, leave them alone.” Roman says sharply, snapping his fingers and Eleanor hears shuffling before the door closes. She sits up on the bed, the duvet falling around her hips as Dick turns around and she can properly see the copious amount of hickeys covering his neck. The possessive part of her brain is ecstatic. He holds up the small bag between them.</p><p>“Hungry?”</p><p>Eleanor smiles.</p><p>While she dresses, Dick dishes out their breakfast – it’s nothing overly fancy just small cheese filled baguettes and orange juice, on the table. He absentmindedly starts flicking through some of the paper spread across it as they eat.</p><p>“I need to head back to the plane at some point,” Eleanor murmurs once she’s done with her sandwich, Dick glances at her questioningly.</p><p>“I’d like a shower, and some new clothes.”</p><p>“I suppose I should find something more suited for the trapeze’s, since I’m being roped into it.” He half-heartedly complains, she rolls her eyes.</p><p>“You’re not fooling anyone, Dick.”</p><p>He smiles into his cup before putting it down. Then he blinks, eyes narrowing slightly in a way that tells her he’s trying to figure something out. He stands, moving over towards the large bed in the back of the caravan and Eleanor hears the ‘click’ sound of a wardrobe opening. When he steps into view again, he’s holding up a similar skin tight suit she remembers seeing his father wearing. It’s blue in colour, with a light blue bird shape over the open collar chest. Dick holds the fabric against him, measuring by eye.</p><p>“Do you think it would fit?”</p><p>Eleanor tries to think back to the night she’d seen John Grayson in person, he’d been athletically built just like Dick was, and tall. But that might have just been because he was stood next to Mary who, Eleanor thinks was quite short, or well, average hight for a woman.</p><p>“Try it on,” Eleanor encourages instead. Dick gives it another pass, hanging it up on a hook in front of him.</p><p>“I will, let’s go grab our bags from the plane though,” his light blue eyes meeting her own dark brown, head tilted slightly away from her with a coy smirk, “and take a shower.”</p><p>That’s what they end up doing, Dick gives his phone number to Roman and tells the guy that they’ll be back in an hour or two. Eleanor manages to get a cab just outside the circus fences that drives them back to the air strip where the Wayne plane waits in one of the hangars. She knows that both the captain and the co-pilot won’t be present, having been told to take the Saturday off.</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>Eleanor ends up straddling Dick’s hips in the king-sized bed, rocking together in a sweaty, loud mess that leaves them both clinging to each other in bliss afterwards. Then again in the shower because. God, they can’t keep their hands to themselves.</em>
</p><p> </p><p>Later, she dresses in a pair of black shorts that reach below her knees and a tight dark red tank top that covers most of the worst of her scars bar the ones on her arms. Dick just manages to grab a pair of slim linen khaki trousers and a white button up, rolling his sleeves up to his elbows before his phone rings.</p><p>Eleanor’s just done using her concealer on one arm when Dick lets out a sharp; “<em>What?”</em></p><p>She pauses, recognising his tone.</p><p>“What do you mean Amélie is <em>gone?”</em> he continues.</p><p>Eleanor feels her stomach drop, she turns to give Dick an alarmed look.</p><p>“Shit, okay. Yeah, we’re on our way.”</p><p>Dick stuffs his phone back into his pocket when he turns to look at her, jaw clenched, eyes narrowed, thinking.</p><p>“Is it possible she left of her own accord?” Eleanor asks, it didn’t have to be a kidna–.</p><p>“Her trailer was tossed,” Dick replies, okay so kidnapping. “Roman is panicking, the police thinks it’s just another runaway.”</p><p>“With the trailer tossed?” Disbelief colours her words.</p><p>“Missing clothes, missing bags,” he says, before he rubs his face in exasperation, “we should check it out, the police might have missed something.”</p><p>They can’t go in their suits, it would be obvious to the circus who they were, that doesn’t stop them from getting some gadgets to help though. Eleanor gives Dick an affirmative nod before he disappears to the back room as she quickly – sloppily, she hopes no one will notice, covers her other arm of the worst of her scars. When Eleanor enters the room Dick has already prepared the Ducati in its civilian disguise. She can’t take anything too big with her, so the grappling gun and her retractable bō-staff is a no go, instead Eleanor decides on swapping out her wrist computer for the larger detective kit. It’s looks like a bigger-than-normal watch and comes equipped with a scanner and analysis computer plus some other nifty tricks that Lucius cooked up at the WE R&amp;D lab.</p><p>Dick opens the exit, hands her helmet over to her and keys the bike on after putting his own helmet on. Eleanor follows his lead and then straddles the bike, wrapping her arms around his waist as he takes off down the air strip. They definitely break some speeding laws as they swoop through the city to the outskirts, several curses and cars honking their horns later they arrive at the circus gates.</p><p>Roman and Raya are both at the entrance, Roman is pacing whilst speaking Romani in a very obviously panicked voice. Raya looks a bit more collected, and occasionally offers a retort to her brother. Eleanor’s off the bike before it comes to a complete stand-still, pulling the helmet off her head as Dick turns the bike off.</p><p>“Dick! Eleanor! Finally! They’re not <em>doing</em> anything!” Roman growls out, turning to them. “You can, right? Tell these... these <em>pigs</em> to do their damn job!”</p><p>“What can<em> they</em> do?” Raya bites out, it sounds like it’s not the first time she’s said it. Roman throws his hands up, pacing back towards her, pointing angrily whilst again speaking in Romani, Eleanor does recognize some of the words, and boy are they colourful.</p><p>“Hey!” Dick interrupts, moving past her and putting a hand on Roman’s shoulder. “We’ll do everything we can, okay Roman. But Raya isn’t to blame here.”</p><p>“Are the police still here?” Eleanor questions, looking at Raya.</p><p>“No, they left fifteen minutes ago, told James to file a missing person report in twenty-four hours if he didn’t hear from Amélie before that.”</p><p>“They took one, <em>one, </em>look around Amélie’s trailer and decided that it wasn’t a kidnapping!” Roman hotly adds.</p><p>“Okay, okay,” Dick murmurs, “but standing out here and shouting isn’t going to help so let’s go back inside for now. Please.”</p><p>The two Vestri siblings reluctantly nod, opening the way forward for Eleanor to roll the Ducati through the gates. Both Raya and Roman walk slightly ahead of herself and Dick. She turns her head slightly towards her boyfriend.</p><p>“We should talk to James,” Dick says quietly, “and have a look at the trailer.”</p><p>“Do you think we should talk to the police too? Roman is right, if I throw my name around, they’re more likely to take Amélie’s disappearance seriously.”</p><p>“Doubt they have any information we can’t get on our own… But I guess it would sooth some worries.” Dick sighs heavily.</p><p>“We’ll find her,” Eleanor says firmly, her and Dick had been trained by the world’s best detective, and this was <em>personal.</em> She parks the bike to the side of the main road, pocketing the keys then jogs to catch up with Dick, lacing their fingers together.</p><p>“Game plan?”</p><p>“I’ll talk to James,” Dick replies instantly, “you check out the trailer, see what the cops missed.”</p><p>“Makes sense, James is more likely to speak to you.” Eleanor nods, then purses her lips, “what about those two? Roman isn’t going to let this go and we can’t do our work with them hovering.”</p><p>Roman’s body language is basically broadcasting it, the increased breathing, eyes nervously darting around the place, how he keeps moving his hands in jerky motions. Raya is slightly less obvious in her panic, Eleanor notes, but she can still see the twitches in her movement.</p><p>“I’ll distract them,” Dick says after a second, releasing her hand. “You go, trailer number ten.”</p><p>Eleanor nods once, leaning up to press a gentle kiss against his cheek before turning around and walking towards the trailers, making a show of grabbing her phone. Before she’s out of earshot Eleanor hears Raya’s annoyed voice.</p><p>“Where is <em>she</em> going?”</p><p>“Ellie’s going to make some calls,” Dick replies calmly, “try and leverage the Wayne name to hasten the process.”</p><p>“Guess it pays to be rich.”</p><p>“Don’t be so rude<em>, </em>sister.”</p><p>Eleanor does not stop herself from rolling her eyes, she doubts that her and Raya will ever be on good terms. But Eleanor had hoped that Raya would at least come to accept her, not for either of their sakes, but for Dick’s. Maybe that was just wishful thinking.</p><p>The chaos of the circus makes it easy to sneak from shadow to shadow, Eleanor’s memory wasn’t photographic, but eidetic to the point where she could recall things easily. When they’d walked around the circus yesterday, she’d automatically stored relative information. The best hiding spots, where people were most drawn to.</p><p>Yesterday, the atmosphere had been light, jovial. Today it was cheerless and bleak. People going about their usual chores, preparing for the opening hours, it was a business after all. But there wasn’t any joy behind it. It feels depressing. Wrong. Eleanor shudders despite the warm sunlight on her skin. She makes her way over to the trailers, alternating between dipping between shadows and pretending to be furiously typing on her phone.</p><p>Amélie’s trailer is closed when she spots it, no doubt locked as well. Fortunately there’s no one in too close proximity, so she deftly plucks two small pins from her watch and twists them in the lock until she hears that satisfying ‘click’ that signifies that it’s open. Eleanor effortlessly slips through the door and scans the area. There are drawers and closets open with clothes missing, the bed is unmade. For the untrained – or lazy, eye it would look like someone woke up, packed and left. But Eleanor was trained to spot things that were easily overlooked.</p><p>There’s a drawer that’s slightly open, and when she peers inside it’s filled with different knickknacks. Cords, sewing supplies, board games. Not something someone would open if they’re in a rush to get out. Then there was the shoes, if Amélie had run, why were her shoes still there? A bit hidden under the bed, but in view when Eleanor crouches down. The bed itself is tossed, not something you’d do when you’d get out of bed, the sheets too pulled, like someone had grabbed at them to try and leverage themselves. When she straightens to stand, a small piece of white catches her attention stuck between the wood and the cloth of the sofa. Eleanor lifts it up with her lockpick, a napkin.</p><p>“<em>N.D</em>,” she whispers, eyes narrowing in on the small embroidered initials. She sniffs and a sweet smell fills her senses, Eleanor quickly reaches up to cover her nose and rests the napkin on the sofa. Tapping her watch into detective mode it scans over the fabric and gives her the results she already suspected. Chloroform.</p><p>Conclusion, this N.D character had snuck up on Amélie while the woman was sleeping, she struggled but breathed in the chemical, the person then went through her bags and made it a conscious effort to make it look like Amélie was running. Something must have spooked them though, the napkin perhaps falling out of their pocket while carrying Amélie out. Eleanor leaves the evidence there, there’s nothing else she could do with it anyway, and once the police actually got their heads out of their asses, they would need it.</p><p>She quietly slips out of the trailer and locks it again before making her way back to the backstage tent. It takes her a couple of minutes to find Dick, and when she does, he’s got a frown darkening his face. James is walking away from him with hurried steps.</p><p>“How is he?” she asks and sits down next to Dick on the spot on the bench that James had been occupying not a moment ago.</p><p>“He knows something,” Dick replies in a hushed tone, “but he didn’t want to tell me.”</p><p>“You think he’s involved?”</p><p>“Not in the abduction.” He shakes his head, right leg bouncing. “What did you find?”</p><p>“The French police are about as useful as the Gotham ones,” Eleanor says, lips twisting into an sardonic smile. “The perp used chloroform to knock her out, staged the trailer to make it look like she was running. Does the initials ‘N.D’ mean anything to you?”</p><p>Dick shakes his head again.</p><p>“Found it on a napkin, the perp must have gotten spooked and dropped it while getting her out.”</p><p>“Initials on napkins,” he says with a wry smile “and this person dropped it in the trailer. What is this, amateur hour?”</p><p>“Lucky us,” Eleanor says, not believing in luck. She rolls her shoulders, seeing the two Vestri siblings across the room, walking towards them in a hurried pace “I’ll follow James, see what he gets up to.”</p><p>“Sure, it’s easier to explain your disappearance to Raya and Roman, and uh, I’ll see if Mr Haly’s got anything on this ‘N.D’ character.”</p><p>“I’m sure Raya will be pleased.” Eleanor blurts out before she can stop herself. She’s not <em>jealous.</em> There was nothing to be jealous <em>about</em>. When she meets Dick’s eyes again, he’s got an eyebrow raised. She’s not fooling him. Embarrassment curls inside her and Eleanor lifts her hand to wave off whatever it is he’s going to say – <em>don’t mind me</em>. But instead he pulls her closer and brings their lips together in a short but intense kiss that kind of leaves her breathless and flustered.</p><p>Before Raya and Roman can make their way over to them she gets up and quickly follows after James, ignoring the confused(Roman) and affronted(Raya) looks both of the siblings are giving her.</p><p>
  <em>And yes, there’s a small(large) part of Eleanor that feels smug when Raya quickly averts her eyes from meeting Eleanor’s.</em>
</p><p>She finds James back in his trailer, spotting him occasionally through the window as he paces, his phone pressed to his ear. There’s too many people around the area now for her to get close enough to hear the conversation, but by the glimpses of his body language she can tell it’s not a pleasant conversation. Ten minutes later and James exits the caravan, he looks around – to anyone else it probably would have seem innocent enough, but Eleanor knows how to spot someone acting suspicious.</p><p>She follows him from a distance as he makes his way out of the circus gates and into the city proper. An hour later and James still doesn’t seem like he’s stopping anytime soon, Eleanor can’t help but wonder if he’s just walking to clear his mind. Then she spots the same hat she’d seen twenty minutes ago in the crowd; the guy is subtle but not subtle enough. It’s not just the guy with the brown hat, there’s at least four more, all sneaking glances towards James who seems oblivious to the entire thing.</p><p>Normally Eleanor wouldn’t have any issues keeping pace with her targets, she’d be on the rooftops, easily tracking them with her eyes. It’s different from ground level, she doesn’t have a bird’s eye view of the situation. It makes it more dangerous.</p><p>When James turns down an alleyway, she can’t wait any longer. Eleanor follows him, allowing herself to make enough noise to catch his attention.</p><p>“James! Hey!” She calls, waving her arm. James turns, surprise colouring his face when she jogs to catch up to him deep within the alley, away from prying eyes.</p><p>“Eleanor? What are you doing here?”</p><p>“I’ve been talking to the police,” she lies smoothly, “I was going to catch a cab back to the circus when I saw you, are you okay?”</p><p>“You shouldn’t be here,” eyes narrowed, pupils shrunk and darting away from her face. It’s only one of the many tell-tale signs of how nervous he is. Eleanor knows that the people who’s been shadowing James are behind her now, she can hear the faint clack noise of their shoes against the concrete. James immediately grabs her wrist and tugs her behind him. She’s taller than he is by a couple of inches so she has no issue seeing over his shoulder. James tries to block their gaze on her though, he’s protecting her, she’s just an innocent kid in his eyes.</p><p>“James Haly, how you doin’ mate?” One of the men – the one with the brown hat, calls out. James twitches nervously, she mimics the movement, she's got a role to play now. Eleanor knows she can take them out, despite the guns she glimpses tucked in brown hat’s goons trousers. But Eleanor would expose herself if she did, and if these are the same guys who got Amélie, if Eleanor could make herself a target…</p><p>“What’s going on?” Eleanor lets confusion lace into her words, fingers reaching up to grip at James’ arm. “James?”</p><p>He straightens out slightly, protective again even though he’s scared. “She’s got no part in this, I came just like you said. Leave her out of this.”</p><p>“You were told to come <em>alone</em>.” Brown hat says cockily, his accent isn’t French, it’s… south African? No Australian.</p><p>“I didn’t bring her–,”</p><p>“Shut up,” brown hat steps closer, “my employer is paying good money for this job, no one said anythin’ about a little girl, but I can impro–“</p><p>“You can’t just threaten people,” Eleanor interrupts with faux indignity, brown hat’s eyes snaps to hers, “do you have any idea who<em> I</em> am? Who my <em>father</em> is?”</p><p>He tilts his head up to actually look at her in baffled amusement, <em>and she recognizes him</em>. George Harkness aka Captain Boomerang. So this just got more dangerous, Harkness was a b-lister and a thief, but he'd been known to kill if he deemed it necessary or if people got in his way. On top of that he was a sexist and racist. But worst of all, he was sort of good at what he did. The Flash had captured him and incarcerated him in Iron Heights last she read up on the guy. So what the hell was he doing in <em>France?</em></p><p>“Ya got quite the–“</p><p>“My father is Bruce Wayne. This is unacceptable, who do you think you are?” Eleanor interrupts hotly again, she’s not Eleanor Wayne, calm and collected sixteen year old vigilante, this is her ‘Nellie Wayne’ persona, spoiled brat of a billionaire, who gets everything served on a silver platter. Interest blooms in Harkness’ eyes, Eleanor imagines that dollar signs would appear if it were possible.</p><p>“I thought you looked familiar, girlie. Well, <em>that </em>bloody changes things, doesn’t it, Haly?”</p><p>“Please, she’s just a kid, she’s got no part in this.”</p><p>Eleanor sees the wheels in Harkness eyes turn, then he jerks his head towards the two of them.</p><p>“Grab ‘em both.”</p><p>The thugs surge forward, three going at James and one lone coming at her. She’d be insulted if she didn’t have to play the role of a spoiled rich kid, Eleanor struggles against the man like a toddler, kicking and scratching as she’s throwing insults and <em>‘how dare you’</em>s around. Another thug walks up to her, Eleanor sees the gleam of metal in his hand. A gun? No some sort of syringe.</p><p>That hadn’t been part of the plan. But she’s a bat, improvisation came with the job description. Besides, since she’s established that she’s Bruce Wayne’s daughter the chance of whatever was in the syringe being something other than a knock out drug was slim. <em>Yet.</em> Going under while on the job was never good, Eleanor allows the thug holding her to yank her head back, the approaching man to press the syringe injector against her neck. Eleanor fights against the chemical as much as she can, her eyes dropping, her limbs feels sluggish. She keeps struggling for a while, opening her mouth to ask, <em>‘what did you do to me’</em>. Instead it comes out as garbled gibberish.</p><p>“No! Don’t hurt her!” James cries, “she’s just a kid! Nicolas doesn’t even want her!”</p><p>“One of ya drongo’s shut him up.” Eleanor feels fingers on her face, pulling her jaw up and she blinks to try and focus on the brown eyes meeting hers, his voice sounds further and further away when he speaks. “You’re gonna make me a pretty penny, aintcha sheila?”</p><p> </p><p>When Eleanor slowly comes to, the first thing she notices is how cold she feels, how dry her mouth is and how stiff her limbs are. The air smells like wood, stone and metal, and there’s a faint echo of voices that she can’t quite make out, there’s also something closer, someone shifting in their seat maybe two meters away to her left. Her hands are cuffed behind her back to a metal chair. Eleanor tugs experimentally against the bonds, they’re tight against her wrist, but she could be out of them in less than a minute if she wanted to.</p><p>She keeps her breathing slow and even, doesn’t move an inch the spite the crick in her neck from the slumped position she’s in. Her phone is gone from her pocket, probably destroyed if they’re smart. Her watch is also gone, but probably not destroyed, which means that the tracker in it would still be active.</p><p>A creak of a hinge breaks the silence, and the person in the chair stands as footsteps approach them.</p><p>“She’s not woken up yet?” a deep voice asks, male by the sound of it. American accent.</p><p>“Nope,” this voice is lighter, but still male and also from the States. “Whatever Harkness knocked her out with is some good stuff.”</p><p>“You heard from the boss, right? It’s Wayne’s kid. Means we’re gonna hit a real payday if he wants her back.”</p><p>“So that’s the plan? We squeeze Wayne for money and hand her back?”</p><p>“Don’t be fucking stupid,” heavy boots reach her, and a hand tugs her head back by her hair. Despite the pain, Eleanor doesn’t react to it. “Once Wayne’s tapped for money maybe Harkness will sell ‘er. Do you know how many people would want to fuck up a pretty billionaire heiress?”</p><p>“Seriously?! She’s like what? <em>Fifteen?</em>” <em>Oh</em>, good to know that one of her kidnappers have some sense of morality and drew the line at abductions.</p><p>“So? Bet it’s like having that real fancy wine that the boss always drinks. Y’know the sweet kind.” Eleanor feels a nose press against the side of her head, breathing her in. It takes everything, drawing on every part of her training not to flinch or curl her mouth in disgust.</p><p>“C’mon man, don’t you have a kid her age?”</p><p>“Probably. Somewhere.” The nose disappears and the hand leaves her hair before the boots walk away again. Eleanor cracks an eye open slightly and is immediately met with the sight of metal beams overhead. Construction site?</p><p>“Anyway,” the same voice says, “I’m taking next shift, you get to watch Dabney beat up the circus freak.”</p><p>There’s a heavy pause.</p><p>“Just don’t <em>do</em> anything. Pretty sure the boss wouldn’t approve.”</p><p>“Shit, what are you? A nark?”</p><p>“Fuck you, Jones.” Lighter footsteps recede and there’s the creak of the hinge again before the slam of the door.</p><p>“Fuckin’ prissy.” ‘Jones’ mutters, Eleanor watches him through her eyelashes as he slumps into the chair to her left. He’s a big guy, but she hadn’t spotted any guns. Eleanor could take him out, a jab to his throat and he’d choke, probably bend over enough that she could knee him in the head to knock him out. Or if she was feeling creative, she could just choke hold him with her legs. But she wasn’t in costume, and <em>where</em> in the world would a sixteen-year-old daughter of a billionaire know how to do <em>that</em>.</p><p>A shadow moves up in the rafters in the corner of her eyes.</p><p>Eleanor pretends to come too, groaning and rolling her head to get rid of the stiffness of her neck. Jones lets out an exasperated grunt and stands up from his chair.</p><p>“Good morning, princess.” He leers, reaching out to grab a handful of her hair and forces her to look up at him. “Sorry, no five star hotel for you this time.”</p><p>Eleanor blinks slowly, then strains her voice as if she’s whispering.</p><p>“What was that, sweetheart?” He leans closer.</p><p>“I said, behind you.” Eleanor rears back slightly and headbutts him, Dick chooses that exact moment to drop down from the rafters, bringing one stick down on Jones’ shoulder as the thug rears back with blood flowing down his face. He flips the other stick and – perhaps with a bit more force than necessary, he brings it down over the guys temple and knocks him out cold.</p><p>Eleanor’s got enough time to appreciate how nicely the blue and light blue leotard actually clings to Dick’s body before he moves over and undoes the cuffs with a flick of his wrist.</p><p>“So it did fit,” she hums, standing up and taking the lockpick from his fingers to undo the other wrist. Rubbing a bit at the red marks.</p><p>“Didn’t have time to go back to the plane,” he replies, reaching up to run his fingers along the high collar, “it’s easier to move in though.” There’s a rope slung across his shoulder – a makeshift grapple line, and Eleanor’s pretty sure that the improvised Escrima sticks are plastic juggling sticks. The domino mask over his face doesn’t hide the blue of his eyes but does admirably of covering his nose and cheekbones. If she didn’t already know who he was, she probably wouldn’t make the connection of him being <em>Robin</em>.</p><p>Eleanor would have to admire him later. “You scouted?”</p><p>“Uh-huh, James is in another room, I saw Amélie too.” He reaches forwards suddenly, dragging gloved fingers across her cheek. “Reckless.”</p><p>“But it worked. Besides, I couldn’t just let James get kidnapped right in front of me without doing anything about it.” Eleanor crouches down to the unconscious thug, digging through his pockets. A pack of cigarettes, a lighter, a knife, a phone and a couple of condoms. She grimaces, taking the knife and the phone away from him before cuffing him with the same cuffs they’d used on her.</p><p>“There’s at least a dozen guys out there,” Dick says then, grabbing the knife and with a flick of his wrist, sends it high into a wooden pillar a couple of metres away.</p><p>“The ones that got me and James were armed, M1911’s. But that’s not the worst of it.”</p><p>“Yeah I saw him too, George Harkness,” Dick shifts, a hand on one hip, “it complicates things.”</p><p>“So, we got no armour, no gadgets, two hostages and a lethal enemy. Sounds like an impossible situation.” Eleanor shoots him a crooked smile as she stretches. Dick chuckles under his breath, running a couple of fingers through his hair.</p><p>“Good thing we’re professionals.”</p><p>“I’ll give the police a call with this unless you’ve already called them?”</p><p>“I haven’t, but we’re still going to have to deal with his mercs though and Harkness, the police won’t be able to deal with him,” Dick says, she nods.</p><p>“Stealthily, I’ll get Amélie and James out.”</p><p>“James might be difficult; last I saw him he was having a one sided conversation tied to a chair in the middle of the big room down that corridor.” Dick gestures to the door that Jones had come out of.</p><p>“Right, and Amélie?”</p><p>“In another room to the left of the big one, cuffed and gagged. One guard, if he’s not moved since I checked he should be straight ahead, back to the door.”</p><p>“I’ll get her this,” Eleanor says, waving Jones’ phone in front of them, “she can call the police, then I can help you take out Harkness.”</p><p>“Without giving yourself away,” Dick prompts, eyebrow raised.</p><p>“Of course,” she smiles.</p><p>With a quick kiss to her cheek Dick grapples up to the rafters again and slips out through one of the plastic wrappers, Eleanor in turn walks over to the closed door and cracks it open ever so slightly. She’s not expecting anyone to be outside, really for all intents and purposes Eleanor was a spoiled sixteen year old. The chances of her getting out of the restraints they’d put her in was pretty non-existent. She sneaks her way outside and down the hallway into an open space, there’s building material everywhere, covered in plastic. She spots Harkness and James first, and counting the others… eleven guys, not counting Harkness and a person she can only assume is Nicolas Dabney. Harkness himself is passively watching Dabney, one hand flipping a boomerang between his fingers, the other holding a glass of amber liquid.</p><p><em>“Amélie was to be mine before you stole her you filthy American swine!”</em> Dabney shouts angrily in French, waving bloodied fists in James’ beaten up face.</p><p>
  <em>“Now she’s ruined. But I can make her perfect again!”</em>
</p><p><em>Hang on a bit longer James</em>, Eleanor thinks, skulking over to the nearest cover. A guard passes her by a second later and lets out a low grunt looking around. For a moment she thinks he might have spotted her, then he trudges on. Across the room Eleanor spots Dick dropping down on top of a guard, said guard is then dragged away, feet slowly disappearing behind cover.</p><p>Careful not to make any noise from the plastic covered building material Eleanor looks for the door that Dick mentioned. The path to it isn’t very hidden, she’d have to rely on speed. This would be so much easier with her gadgets. Eleanor lets out a silent sigh, she hopes Dick’s intel was right. Listening to the pattern of footsteps she darts out of cover, opens the door just enough to slip inside and then presses herself against the nearest shadow.</p><p>Amélie is slumped in her chair but breathing, dressed in a black dress that Eleanor somehow guesses hadn’t been the French woman’s first choice. The guard is leaning against a windowsill across the room, seemingly oblivious to Eleanor’s presence. She can’t wait to check if Amélie is passed out, Eleanor’s going to have to risk it. She waits a heartbeat before she – as quietly as she can, crosses the small space and wraps and arm around the guys neck, he’s not very tall so it’s easy enough to leverage him against her. Eleanor puts her other hand over his mouth to muffle his noises and tightens her hold. He struggles backwards, hands coming up to try and pull at her arm, but he’s already losing strength. He tries one last desperate grab at her arms before he slumps, and Eleanor gently lowers him against the floor.</p><p>When she glances over to Amélie, the woman’s eyes are on her. <em>Fuck.</em> No, not enough time. Eleanor would deal with it later. Priorities. She walks over and gently removes the gag from the older woman’s mouth, before moving around the chair and getting to work on the handcuffs.</p><p>“I did tell that man,” Amélie whispers, “that I ‘ad powerful friends. Is Richard ‘ere with you?” Eleanor doesn’t answer. Once the cuffs are off with a satisfying ‘click’, Amélie shifts forward in her seat and rubs her wrists. Eleanor holds the phone she’d stolen out to the older woman.</p><p>“You need to get out of here and call the police.” Amélie raises a questioning eyebrow but takes the small item.</p><p>“Eleanor,” Amélie says then, standing up as Eleanor makes her way to the thug still unconscious on the ground. Digging through his pockets for anything useful. “I need to warn you about Nicolas Dabney, ‘e is very dangerous.”</p><p>Eleanor tilts her head towards her, letting Amélie know that she’s got Eleanor’s attention.</p><p>“’e is my former lover, ‘e wanted me to show ‘im, to teach ‘im <em>magie</em>. But I am not as powerful as I once was, I could not teach ‘im. So ‘e resorted to dark magic, binding ‘imself to the service of a <em>démon</em>. That is why I left ‘im.”</p><p>“I hate magic.” She mutters under her breath, Amélie’s red lips quirk into a small smile as Eleanor rolls the thug she’d choked out over to his stomach, cuffing him and removing his phone and gun. Disassembling the offending weapon quickly before she stands and gives the French woman a critical look.</p><p>“You’re a magician then?” <em>Like Zatanna Zatara.</em></p><p>“I was, all I can do now is tricks, card readings and the like.” Amélie’s smile disappears, her brow furrowing in sadness. “Magic comes with a price, <em>chére. </em>It is addictive and seductive, James was my <em>évasion. </em>My salvation.”</p><p>Dick needs to know this, preferably before he engages the warlock in combat. Eleanor’s head snaps towards the door, holding up a finger to silence Amélie. Nothing. Before she could still hear the ranting and raving that Nicolas was dishing out. Eleanor feels a shiver run up her spine, something wasn’t right.</p><p>“Stay behind me.” Eleanor orders the older woman with a whisper. She moves up to the door and slowly cracks it open, just a smidge. Then sidesteps out of the way as a thug comes crashing through it, he doesn’t get back up. On the other side Dick’s taking cover against some of the construction materials as several guns go off.</p><p>Over all the noise Eleanor can hear Dabney shouting furiously in French, telling everyone to hold their goddamn fire.</p><p>“Relax mate, one bloody mask ain’t gonna change anythin’. ‘Specially not one in a fuckin’ <em>leotard</em>.” Harkness’ Australian accented voice calls out once the guns quiet down. Eleanor looks down at the unconscious guy that had just been thrown through the door by Dick, she crouches down and carefully searches the guy, he only carries a knife and a phone but it’s more than she had a minute ago, and Eleanor can do a lot with improvised weapons.</p><p>“My Amélie is in there, Boomerang! Do something, you <em>fils de pute!</em>”</p><p>Harkness replies with a snarky remark and the two laps into an insult throwing contest. Now, <em>normally</em> Eleanor would be annoyed – <em>really, like she had nothing better to do than listen to bad guys monologue</em>, but now? If it buys them more time that’s fine by her. The remaining thugs seems stumped by the arguing duo, shooting each other confused glances. There’s five of them still standing, which means Dick’s managed to take out at least three while Eleanor got Amélie out of her bindings. James is slumped in the chair, bloodied and beaten but she can see the subtle movement of his chest, still alive. Good.</p><p>She meets Dick’s eyes, <em>“you’ve got three guys to your right.”</em> Eleanor signs, he nods in acknowledgement.</p><p><em>“Exit door is on the opposite side of the room, can you take out the light?”</em> He signs back. Eleanor looks up to the lamps hanging overhead and smiles, they do their best work in the dark after all. Dick holds up three fingers, Eleanor’s grip tightens over the phone, two fingers, she holds her arm up. One finger, it’s all in the wrist.</p><p>As soon as the lights go out Dick leaps, guns go off again followed by shouting both in French and English. Eleanor grabs Amélie’s hand ducking from cover to cover towards the door Dick just pointed out. A razor sharp boomerang cuts into Dick’s arm, it just grazes him and if Dick had been in his Robin suit it wouldn’t have even scratched the armour. The leotard is flimsy fabric however, and a line of blood starts running down his bicep. Eleanor pauses, flipping the knife in her hand, fighting with blades are always risky, that’s why the bat’s stuck to blunt force weapons, but she had to do <em>something.</em></p><p>Eleanor scans the battlefield, Dick had already taken care of all the guns, knocking them out of the thugs’ hands, forcing the remaining of them to engage him in fist fights all the while mocking and talking their ears off as per his normal style. He got that covered, it’s child’s play. The real threat were Harkness and Dabney, the Australian having difficulty tracking Dick’s evasive movement as he dips between metal pillars and wooden planks. Truly, Eleanor had always admired the way Dick seemed to flow like water in fights, spinning and twisting out of reach before coiling back and striking unexpectedly. It’s a brutal yet beautiful dance.</p><p>Eleanor attention snaps back towards the warlock, still hunched over next to James. Dabney is muttering under his breath, in a language that she doesn’t understand yet sent chills down her spine.</p><p>Amélie’s hand is suddenly ripped out of Eleanor grasp.</p><p><em>“Non! </em>Stop him!”</p><p>The black of Amélie’s dress flows like there’s a sudden updraft, the plastic covering the construction supplies thrashes as if caught in a maelstrom. Dabney jerks his head upwards at the loud sound of the fortune teller's voice, thick black smoke flows from his eyes and Eleanor <em>reacts.</em></p><p>As Dabney loses control over the building blue energy between his hands Eleanor pushes Amélie out of the way. The beam strikes her in the chest and suddenly it’s too warm and too cold all at once. She feels like she’s under water for a moment, every sound is dulled. Despite that Eleanor can hear Dick call out, she can hear Amélie’s intake of breath, Dabney colliding with the floor, smoky eyes fading. Harkness boomerang as it strikes metal and his surprised shout cuts through like a hot knife through butter.</p><p>“What the bloody hell just happened?”</p><p>Eleanor touches the spot where the blue energy hit, nothing. She looks up and meets Amélie’s eyes.</p><p>“I’m fine.” She says, confusion clear in her voice.</p><p>Eleanor looks over to Dick, who’s standing in the middle of the room, scraped and no doubt bruised, breathing heavily. But okay. His eyes drifts from her – once they make eye contact, to Harkness. The Australian takes a step back, seemingly not favouring his odds anymore. Dick tilts his head backwards slightly, a mocking smile slowly spreading across his face.</p><p>“What’s the matter Captain Boomerang. Didn’t think I’d come back for you?”</p><p>Eleanor groans at the terrible pun, Harkness takes a step back and Dick launches himself forward, knocking out the villain with a few well-placed punches. Before Harkness hits the floor Amélie moves over to James, carefully cradling his head between her palms.</p><p>“<em>Mon amour</em>,” she breaths softly, brushing some of James’ brown hair away from his eyes, “you are safe, my James.”</p><p>Eleanor cautiously walks over to Dabney, nudging him over onto his back, the magician is breathing, maybe whatever backlash he faced from the spell also knocked him out? Dick joins her a moment later, having tied Harkness up and confiscated any remaining boomerangs.</p><p>“Are you okay?” He asks quietly, eyes flickering to where the blue beam of energy had struck her. Eleanor reaches up to again press her fingers against the spot, she doesn’t feel any differently than she had before.</p><p>“I think so,” she glances back down at the unconscious warlock, “maybe his… spell… misfired?” <em>Is that even possible. God, she hates magic.</em></p><p>“Please, Eleanor, ‘elp me remove these restraints.” Amélie’s strained voice calls out, Eleanor nods automatically.</p><p>“I’ll call the police,” Dick murmurs, digging through Dabney’s pockets.</p><p>Eleanor crouches down behind James, working the lockpick into the cuffs then closes her eyes to try and focus. She’s still high on adrenalin, her hands are trembling slightly and it’s making it more difficult that it has to be. Eventually the lock gives and James slumps forward into Amélie’s waiting arms. Over their shoulder Dick gives her a look – one that tells her he needs to leave; he can’t be here when the cops show up. Eleanor only nods, settling on the floor next to James and Amélie. With the silence comes thoughts, the older woman had seen her move, had seen Eleanor choke out a man like it had been child’s play.</p><p>Eleanor opens her mouth several times in an attempt and find the right words, but besides the thought of – <em>oh god Batman is going to kill me</em>. There’s nothing. She buries her fingers in her hair, feeling frustrated by the turn of events.</p><p>“I will not tell anyone of what I saw, <em>chére.</em>” Eleanor looks up when Amélie speaks, her green eyes have a soft, fond look to them. “Yours and Richard’s secrets are safe with me.”</p><p>She doesn’t respond, she <em>can’t</em>. Instead Eleanor looks down to the still slow breathing James, it worries her a little that he hasn’t woken up, the repeated punches to his face has no doubt given him a concussion, but the police were on their way – Eleanor could hear the sirens already, and with them came the EMT’s.</p><p>The police bursts through the door that Dick had pointed out a couple of minutes later, there’s half a dozen of them moving around the room. They hesitate when they spot the unconscious thugs scattered around them, then a man with graying hair starts shouting out orders and before Eleanor knows it she’s got a blanket wrapped around her shoulders with an EMT hovering nearby after having wrapped her wrists in bandages.</p><p>It’s still daylight outside, maybe late afternoon. She can see the river from where they are, turns out she was right, it’s a construction site. People have gathered by the fences as the police carry the criminals that abducted James, Amélie and herself out. The two aforementioned were quickly taken to a hospital, leaving Eleanor behind.</p><p>She plays up a heavy American accent when she gives her statement to an officer, playing a bewildered teenager, <em>‘I don’t know officer, one moment I was cuffed to a chair and then a masked </em>hero<em> saved me.’</em>. It takes longer than she’d like but in the end the female officer gives her a sympathetic look and asks if there’s anyone Eleanor would like her to contact. She’s about to say yes when she spots Dick waving his arms by the gathering crowd, calling out in his own entitled rich-boy persona that <em>‘that’s my girlfriend damnit! Let me through!’</em>.</p><p>Eleanor makes a choked noise in the back of her throat and shrugs the blanket off her shoulders before she starts running towards him. It’s half an act of a terrified abductee and half not, there’s genuine relief of seeing him. Dick vaults over the police barrier and ducks under one of the officers that try to stop him, a heartbeat later Eleanor is in his arms.</p><p>“Ellie! Thank god. Are you okay?” He asks loudly, arms squeezing her tightly. Eleanor smiles into the crook of his neck – half amused by ‘Richie Grayson’ making a scene but nods and hugs him back just as tight.</p><p>“I was <em>so</em> worried,” he continues dramatically, and Eleanor bites down on her lip to keep from laughing. “Someone’s going to hear from our attorneys for this!”</p><p>“Oh my god, Dick you’re so dramatic.” She half hisses half laughs against his neck.</p><p>“What? This is unacceptable, babe. You could have been hurt!” Dick says, sounding way more scandalized than he has any right to and he hasn’t gotten quieter either, in fact, he’s done the opposite. “Not to mention the emotional–!”</p><p>Eleanor cuts him off with a kiss.</p><p> </p><p>Once the police lets them leave they take a cab to the hospital James had been committed to. James is awake when they’re finally allowed to step into the room he’s in. Face swollen to various degrees and with a definite concussion but alive. Amélie is with him, with similar bandages around her wrists as Eleanor herself has. Her and Dick spend a couple of minutes talking to them, assuring James that they’ll let everyone at the circus know that he’s alright before they leave.</p><p>Eleanor – without James’ knowledge, sets up all of his bills to be paid off by the victims fund that Bruce keeps.</p><p>When they finally make it back to the circus it’s well past its opening time and bustling with people. The summer sun sits low on the sky, but it’s still warm and spirits seems higher now than when Eleanor had left earlier, even with Roman throwing out suggestions that Dick take his place so that Roman can sneak off to the hospital to see James. Dick points out with a grin on his face that even if that were possible he doesn’t know their routine enough for it to work.</p><p>Roman pouts before Bryan – who’s covering for James as Ringleader, calls the Soaring Spirits out for their act. This time her and Dick end up watching the acrobats perform from the backstage area, but it’s no less impressive than it had been the first time she’d seen them. The act comes to a magnificent end with Raymond doing a triple somersault that Zane only just manages to catch, the crowd letting out a gasp at the near miss. Bryan bids everyone a good night and slowly people start to leave the large tent, talking about how amazing the show had been.</p><p>Eleanor and Dick end up helping clean up backstage before Mr Haly makes his way over towards them with a bright smile on his wrinkled face.</p><p>“It’s time kiddo, tent is empty, go show us all how to fly.”</p><p>“One second!” Dick says, the widest of smiles on his face as he disappears to the changing area. By the time he’s changed into his father’s blue on blue leotard there’s a small crowd of people gathered just outside the backstage entrance. Eleanor watches the warm look in people’s eyes when they recognize it, even the tears that are quickly wiped away.</p><p>Dick scales the ladder up to the trapeze lines and then he’s flying.</p><p>“This is the best part,” Haly says, standing next to her and gazing up in awe.</p><p>Eleanor makes a low agreeing noise. She hopes she would never get used to how graceful Dick moves, swinging from bar to bar, flipping and twisting as if he was born for this exact purpose. It leaves her breathless just watching him with that brilliantly charming smile on his lips. Even though Eleanor can tell he’s holding back, not allowing himself to truly throw caution to the wind as he usually does back in the cave, or when he soars through the Gotham sky at night.</p><p>Dick stops on the platform he’d climbed up to, giving the gathered audience a flourished bow when they clap and whistle.</p><p>“Ellie!” He calls out then, meeting her gaze from thirty feet up. “Come up here!”</p><p>She blinks several times before someone nudges her and she starts walking to the ladder. Behind her people make encouraging noises when she hesitates. Eleanor has to make it seem like she wasn’t used to it after all, her climb up is slow and eventually Dick grabs her hand and pulls her up the rest of the way.</p><p>“We’re just going to swing,” he says, powdering her hands with talc.</p><p>“Nothing fancy?” Eleanor murmurs in awe, feeling like she’s watching the interaction from afar. Sure they’d swung on trapeze lines in the cave together before, but this felt different. Dick wants to share this experience with her, it was this almost unexplainable pure feeling of joy and…</p><p>“I love you.” The words tumble out of her mouth before she can even register the thought and Dick’s face lights up like the sun.</p><p>He cups her face with both hands and kisses her. Below, someone wolf whistles, Dick pulls back, blue eyes filled with happiness, powdered thumbs stroking over her cheeks.</p><p>“I won’t let you fall.”</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>French and Romani isn't any of the languages I speak, any mistakes are unintentional, feel free to correct me in the comments! Additionally, English is my second language, and while I am quite comfortable with it I still make mistakes. </p><p>Chapter title is named after song "Heaven Knows" by Five For Fighting.</p><p>As always, thanks for reading! Leave a kudos or a comment if you feel like it!</p>
        </blockquote><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Dick Grayson dancing will never not be the best mental image. <i>Swoons</i></p><p>Both chapter title and some of the lyrics in this chapter is borrowed from "Circus" by Britney Spears.</p></blockquote></div></div>
</body>
</html>